Secretory behaviour of hypertrophic and hyperplastic salivary gland.

The enzyme content and the secretory behaviour of normal rat salivary glands were compared with these properties in glands made hypertrophic and hyperplastic by the chronic administration of isoproterenol. The enlarged glands displayed reductions in the concentrations of ribonuclease, deoxyribonuclease and amylase. The secretory behaviour in vivo was similar for all enzymes in both types of glands, but the enlarged glands secreted a lower percentage of their content in vitro. The reduction in amylase activity was shown by immunological techniques to be due to a reduction in the number of enzyme molecules. The reduction in ribonuclease activity was not due to changes in the level of ribonuclease inhibitors.