Evidence for a role of endogenous nerve growth factor in the functional sex difference in the adrenergic innervation of the male and female mouse submandibular gland

In view of the remarkable sex difference in nerve growth factor (NGF) content in mouse submandibular gland (SMG), a direct comparison of the adrenergic innervation as represented by noradrenaline (NA) content in SMG, rate of losing NA after superior cervical ganglionectomy, post-reserpine recovery of NA and survival and growth of implanted neurons of superior cervical ganglion into SMG was carried out. The results showed that the NA contents in the intact male SMG and in the male SMG during the recovery from reserpinization were higher than those in the female. There were marked sex differences in patterns of the time-course of post-ganglionectomy loss of NA in SMG and in the ability of SMG to support survival and growth of the implanted SCG neurons. These results indicate that NGF in the mouse SMG may play a functional role in the adrenergic neurons innervating the gland.