Differences in Innervation and Secretory Behaviour of Two Nasal Glandular Parts in the Rat

Abstract

The submucosal glands in the rat nose are characterized by the presence of both neutral and acid glycoproteins, which are important constituents of nasal and tracheobronchial secretions. This study is an attempt to gain a better insight into the secretion of these two types of glycoproteins and its neural regulation. Radiobiochemical experiments show a higher sensitivity to methacholine of the nasal glandular region producing acid glycoproteins than the area secreting neutral glycoproteins. Radioligand receptor binding suggests that the binding parameters of the muscarinic receptors in these two areas are mutually different. Furthermore, rat nasal glandular muscarinic receptors appear to be different from those in smooth muscle of rat ileum. Key words: rat nasal glands, glycoprotein secretion, cholinergic drugs, muscarinic receptors, receptor heterogeneity.