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An investigation of parotid gland function and histopathology in autoimmune disease‐prone mice of different age groups
Author(s) -
Wolff Andy,
Scott John,
Woods Kathy,
Fox Philip C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of oral pathology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1600-0714
pISSN - 0904-2512
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0714.1991.tb00409.x
Subject(s) - histopathology , autoimmune disease , parotid gland , salivary gland , medicine , sialadenitis , adenitis , pathology , autoimmunity , saliva , disease , immunology , endocrinology
This work aimed to characterize parotid gland function in autoimmune disease‐prone murine strains (MRL/n, MRL/1 and NZB/W) in relation to increasing age and to relate the extent of functional impairment to the intensity of histopatholog‐ic changes observed at the different ages. Pilocarpine‐stimulated parotid saliva was collected to assess salivary flow rate and composition. Parotid tissue was then removed for histopathologic assessment. Parotid flow rates were not significantly reduced in autoimmune strains compared to controls but were reduced with age in NZB/W mice and in males of the C57 (control) strain. Age‐related salivary compositional changes were present in MRL/1 mice and in male NZB/W mice. Focal lymphocytic adenitis increased with age in prevalence and intensity in both sexes. The functional and histopathologic changes were not closely correlated. These results suggest that the parotid gland of autoimmune disease‐prone mice provides only a poor replication of the salivary changes in human Sjcigren's syndrome. Nevertheless, both the functional and histopathological changes developing in these strains, pven though of limited extent, are significantly influenced by age.