EFFECT OF THEOPHYLLINE AND 3', 5'-CYCLIC ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE ON THE SALIVARY AMYLASE SECRETION FROM RABBIT PAROTID GLAND

Abstract

The salivary glands are innervated by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, receiving a main secretory innervation from the parasympathetic nervous system (1). It was reported that the sympathetic nervous system played an important role in regulation of secretion of amylase, a main component of parotid saliva, from the rabbit parotid gland and that the β receptors were the ones involved in this mechanism (2-5). It is known that catecholamine stimulates adenyl cyclase which may exist in the cell membrane and catalyzes the formation of cyclic AMP in many tissues (6). Robinson et al. (7) postulated that in most and perhaps all tissues the β receptors and adenyl cyclase were probably identical. Bdolah and Shramm (8) reported that theophylline and butyryl derivatives of cyclic AMP induced amylase release from rat parotid slice.
The present investigation was undertaken to clarify the probable function of cyclic AMP as an inducer of amylase secretion from the rabbit parotid gland in vivo.