Adrenergic inhibition of cell proliferation in the buccal epithelium of rat.

Mitotic rates in the basal layer of cells in the buccal epithelium of rat were measured using a stathmokinetic technique. Adrenaline was found to inhibit cell proliferation in this tissue and the effect of adrenaline could be blocked by the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol but not by the alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine nor by the specific beta2-adrenergic antagonist butoxamine. Cell proliferation in the buccal mucosa was also inhibited by terbutaline, a synthetic beta2-adrenergic agonist. The effect of terbutaline was not blocked by either butoxamine or by the specific beta1-adrenergic antagonist practolol.