The short-term effects of a single injection of isoproterenol on proliferation in the submandibular gland, parotid gland and oesophagus in vivo.

Mitotic and labelling indices were studied in the submandibular, parotid and oesophageal cells of male mice within the first 6 hr (but particularly within the 1st hr) of a single injection of isoproterenol or saline, using the metaphase arrest agent (vincristine) which was previously tested for efficacy in submandibular gland. There was a significant increase in the metaphase index of the salivary glands over control values 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after isoproterenol. In contrast, there were no significant changes in the metaphase index of basal cells of the oesophagus. There was no significant change in the labelling index in isoproterenol-treated mice in comparison with saline-injected control animals. Possible explanations for the rapid mitotic response in murine salivary glands are considered; a rapid efflux from G2 into mitosis is thought to be the most likely.