Effects of isoproterenol on weight and cell structure of parotid and submandibular salivary glands in stray dogs

Isoproterenol is a sympathomimetic agent that has been used for treatment of cardiac and respiratory diseases such as atrio-ventricular block, cardiac arrest and asthma in human and animals. Isoproterenol stimulates p-adrenergic receptors in secretory units of salivary glands and causes increasing of salivation and histomorphological changes in short and long terms, respectively. Twenty adult female stray dogs were used as control and treatment groups. Chronic treatment of isoproterenol with dosage of 0.3 mg per kg (19.9 ± 1.4 kg bw) for 20 days revealed remarkable changes on weight of the parotid and submandibular salivary glands. In treatment group, histomorphological changes in submandibular gland were more clear than parotid and its mean weight from 8086 ±172 mg increased to 18587 ± 379 mg. Hyperplasia and hypertrophy of secretory units in the submandibular gland were also detectable. As a result, the histomorphological differences that have been seen in this research between parotid and submandibular salivary glands can be related to type of receptors of secretory units.