Inhibition of isoproterenol-induced DNA and RNA synthesis in rat parotid and pancreas following removal of submandibular-sublingual glands.

[3H] thymidine incorporation into DNA of the parotid (PA) gland of adult and 20-day-old rats and into DNA of the pancreas (PANC) of 20-day-old rats was increased markedly following a 2-day regimen of isoproterenol (ISO) administration. However, when the submandibular-sublingual (SM-SL) glands had been removed just prior to initiation of the ISO injections, the [3H] thymidine incorporation into PA and PANC was inhibited, and cpm/mg protein of these organs was even lower than that of organs of untreated rats with SM-SL glands present. Removal of the PA glands just prior to initiation of the ISO regimen had no effect on the ISO-induced [3H] thymidine incorporation into DNA of PANC but partially inhibited that of the submandibular (SM) gland. It is suggested that the inhibitory effects on DNA and RNA synthesis that follow removal of SM-SL glands are attributable to the growth factors (epidermal growth factor and nerve growth factor) found in the rat SM gland. These factors appear to regulate normal DNA synthetic activity of exocrine glands as well as beta 1-adrenoceptor mediated DNA synthesis. Cellular hypertrophy induced by the ISO was less markedly affected by absence of the SM glands, but a partial inhibition of [3H] uridine incorporation into RNA of PA of adult rats also occurred when SM-SL glands were removed prior to initiation of the ISO-regimen.