2nd Stage BK 21 for School of Dentistry, Dental Science Research Institute, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, South Korea.
Arch Oral Biol. 2010 Jan;55(1):7-14. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2009.11.003. Epub 2009 Dec 8.
The chorda-lingual (CL) nerve carries parasympathetic fibers to the hilum of the sublingual and submandibular glands (SMGs) and evokes the secretion of saliva. The effect of cutting the CL nerve on the biological processes in SMGs was investigated by examining the gene-expression profiles in the SMGs after a surgical parasympathectomy.
At day 3 after the CL nerve cut, the changes in the SMGs at both the experimental cut and contralateral control sides were analysed by microarray and light microscopy. The expression levels of 6 selected genes were confirmed by real-time PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence staining.
The wet weight of the parasympathectomised SMGs decreased significantly compared to that of the contralateral side (p<0.05). Histological analyses after the parasympathectomy showed a widened interacinar space as well as some atropic changes to the acini of the SMGs in the cut side. Microarray analysis revealed that twofold differential expression in mRNA expression in the parasympathectomized SMGs were detected in 88 genes (0.004%): 41 genes were overexpressed, 11 were underexpressed and 36 were unknown. Changes of the expression of 6 selected genes detected by Western blot and/or real-time PCR were consistent with the microarray data.
The important genes involved in biological processes for salivation were identified through a large-scale gene expression analysis.
舌咽神经（CL 神经）向舌下腺和颌下腺（SMG）的门部传递副交感神经纤维，并引起唾液分泌。通过检查 SMG 中手术后副交感神经切断术后的基因表达谱，研究切断 CL 神经对 SMG 中生物过程的影响。
在 CL 神经切断后第 3 天，通过微阵列和光镜分析 CL 神经切断后 SMG 的实验侧和对侧的变化。通过实时 PCR、Western blot 和免疫荧光染色证实 6 个选定基因的表达水平。
与对侧相比，去副交感神经支配的 SMG 的湿重显著减少（p<0.05）。去副交感神经支配后的组织学分析显示，在切断侧的 SMG 中，腺间空间变宽，腺泡发生一些萎缩性改变。微阵列分析显示，在去副交感神经支配的 SMG 中检测到 88 个基因的 mRNA 表达有两倍差异（0.004%）：41 个基因过表达，11 个基因低表达，36 个基因未知。Western blot 和/或实时 PCR 检测到的 6 个选定基因表达变化与微阵列数据一致。
通过大规模基因表达分析，确定了参与唾液生物过程的重要基因。
