Postnatal development of adenylate cyclase in rat salivary glands: patterns of hormonal sensitivity.

In order to compare the known morphological changes which occur during the postnatal development of the salivary glands in the rat with alterations in membrane function, we measured adenylate cyclase activity and its responses to sodium fluoride (NaF), norepinephrine, and isoproterenol in salivary gland membranes at various times after birth. In the parotid gland, basal enzyme activity did not change significantly during postnatal life, but fluoride-stimulated activity rose on day 15; A similar marked rise in activity stimulated by norepinephrine (0.02 mM) and isoproterenol (0.03 mM) was noted simultaneously. In the submandibular gland, basal adenylate cyclase activity was higher just after birth than at 25 days of life or in maturity. Fluoride-stimulated activity was 7 times higher than basal activity on day 1, greater than 10 times higher on day 25, and 30 times greater in the adult. The gland was as responsive to norepinephrine and isoproterenol on day 5 as it was on day 25 or in the mature animal, showing a two- to threefold increase over the basal enzyme value at each time point studied. Residual phosphodiesterase activity in the membranes was always negligible. The data demonstrate a time-dependent developmental change in the responsiveness of the parotid gland to norepinephrine and isoproterenol, which corresponds to the time when morphological maturation normally occurs. By contrast, in the submandibular gland, membrane-bound adenylate cyclase is fully developed at the time of birth.