Diurnal variation of amylase secretion is coupled with alterations of β-adrenoceptors in the rat parotid gland

Abstract

Diurnal changes in the neurotransmitter receptors are important for studying the receptor function in neurophysiology. The purpose of this study is to gain an insight into the regulatory mechanisms of the diurnal variation of amylase secretion. Rat salivary amylase levels showed a diurnal variation with two peaks, a marked peak at 13 h and a lesser peak at 21 h. This increase in salivary amylase levels was completely inhibited by pretreatment of rats with the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol, but not by the alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine. Amylase level in parotid tissue homogenate also showed a diurnal change, but there was only one peak, at 13 h. The number of maximal binding sites (Bmax) for [3H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA) in parotid membranes showed a diurnal variation with two marked peaks at 13 and 21 h, but the affinity of parotid beta-adrenoceptors for agonists or antagonists did not show any diurnal changes. Phosphorylation of nuclear non-histone proteins in the rat parotid gland showed diurnal variation with two marked peaks at 13 and 21 h. These results indicate that a diurnal variation in the number of rat parotid beta-adrenoceptors, which is presumably regulated by gene expression, is coupled with a change in salivary amylase secretion.