Sialoadenosis produced by drug-treatment of hypertonicity. II. Experimental studies on the effects of guanethidine (Ismelin) on the submaxillary glands of the rat.

48 rats were treated with guanethidine (Ismelin) in order to study the side-effects on the submaxillary glands following application of a routinely used antihypertensive substance. In contrast to guanethidine-treated parotid glands, no retention of alpha-amylase was observed. The amylolytic activities of the glands are decreased both after treatment for 24 hrs and when a 3 week treatment had been followed by a 2 week recuperation period. This decrease of total amylase content runs parallel with alterations in the alpha-isoamylase patterns of the submaxillary glands. Furthermore, gland growth is inhibited by the guanethidine-mediated "pharmacological sympathectomy". We interpret these proteodyschylic changes of the submaxillary glands as a pharmacologically induced peripheral neurogenic sialoadenosis.