| Abstract: | The effects of estradiol on the granular ducts in submandibular glands of female albino rats were studied. Twenty-five-milligram pellets of 17 beta-estradiol were implanted subcutaneously in the experimental animals, and their glands, as well as controls, were examined after 2, 4, 7, and 10 wk using light and electron microscopy. During the course of the experiment an increasing proportion of the granules in the granular ducts appeared more lightly stained in the experimental animals. In the estradiol-treated rats the granular ducts increased in relative cross-sectional area at a faster rate than in the controls, which exhibited maturation changes. In addition, the average number of granules per granular duct cell decreased significantly in the treated animals. Our results indicate that estradiol caused a change in the cytology of the granular ducts suggesting an alteration in protein synthesis. These results might occur through a change in structural proteins or in other hormones and growth factors which are known to influence the submandibular gland. |
