Effects of ageing on morphology, amylase release, cytosolic Ca2+ signals and acyl lipids in isolated rat parotid gland tissue.

Xerostomia (oral dryness sensation) is due to dryness of the oral cavity and it is more prevalent in the elderly. This study investigated the effect of ageing on parotid gland structure and function of control (2-6 months) and aged (12, 16-18 and 22-24 months) rats employing light microscopic, colorimetric, gas chromatographic and microspectrofluorimetric methods to investigate the morphological changes of the parotid glands, amylase release, endogenous lipid distribution and cytosolic free calcium levels, respectively. When compared to controls, age-related changes were apparent in glands obtained from rats aged 16-18 and 22-24 months, which included reduced acinar cell distribution, enlarged parotid ducts with fatty and connective tissue and mast cell infiltrations.

Dietary virgin olive oil enhances secretagogue-evoked calcium signaling in rat pancreatic acinar cells.

Objective: We evaluated the long-term effects of a fat-enriched diet (virgin olive oil) on calcium mobilization and amylase secretion induced by cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8) in rat pancreatic acinar cells. Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet, and its role in human health is actively being debated.

Methods: Weaning male Wistar rats (21 d old) were assigned to one of two experimental groups and fed for 8 wk with a commercial chow (control group) or an experimental diet (olive group) containing 100 g/kg of virgin olive oil as dietary fat.

Evidence for secretion-like coupling involving pp60src in the activation and maintenance of store-mediated Ca2+ entry in mouse pancreatic acinar cells.

Store-mediated Ca2+ entry (SMCE) is one of the main pathways for Ca2+ influx in non-excitable cells. Recent studies favour a secretion-like coupling mechanism to explain SMCE, where Ca2+ entry is mediated by an interaction of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with the plasma membrane (PM) and is modulated by the actin cytoskeleton. To explore this possibility further we have now investigated the role of the actin cytoskeleton in the activation and maintenance of SMCE in pancreatic acinar cells, a more specialized secretory cell type which might be an ideal cellular model to investigate further the properties of the secretion-like coupling model.