Relationship between sialoadenitis and periductal laminin expression in the submandibular salivary gland of NZBxNZWF(1) mice.

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between cellular infiltration and periductal laminin expression of the submandibular salivary gland in female autoimmune NZBxNZWF(1) mice, which are used as an animal model for secondary human Sjögren's syndrome. In NZBxNZWF(1) mice, but not in non-autoimmune control (BALB/c) mice, early submandibular salivary gland lesions were characterized by infiltration of mononuclear cells around vessels and ducts in the interstitial tissues, increasing with age. Destruction and hyperplasia of ductal epithelial cells occurred, with extensive local infiltration of mononuclear cells. Laminin expression around the ducts was significantly higher in young NZBxNZWF(1) mice than that in control (BALB/c and DBA/1) mice. Periductal laminin expression increased in NZBxNZWF(1)mice with age. In addition VLA-6, which is a ligand for laminin, was expressed by the infiltrating cells. These results suggest that laminin expression is associated with the cellular infiltration of the submandibular salivary gland of NZBxNZWF(1) mice. Copyright Harcourt Publishers Ltd.