Sexual hormones and mast cells in salivary glands

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to study mast ce11s under the
influence of sexual hormones in submaxilar (SM). sublingual (SL)
sa1ivary glands. Adult young fernale Wistar rats were used in lots
of 5 animals each. 1) normal 2) castrated 15 days 3) castrated
plus estrogen 4) castrate'd plus testosterone 5) normal ma1e.
Samp1es of SL.íl and SriG were taken applying routine histo1ogic
methods: HE.AB,PAS-pH 2.5. ATO pH 3,8. Histometry was perforrned
on an area from 15,6 mm to 450X. Variations in the cytochemical
bahaviour and cellular size of mast cel1s were observed in the
fema1t;! rats injected with testosterone or estrogen. From
cuantitative eva1uation we deduce that: a) castration prodeces
a significative ir.crease of mast ce11s. b) estrogen and
testosterone do reduce the number os mast ce11s e) in SLG the
popu1atión is significatively minar than in SMG and the steroid
influence can be hard1y observed. We conclude that: 1" mast cel1s
at'e influenced by castration as much as by sexual hor¡nones
injection in SMG. 2° ihere are signifjcative differences in the
number of mast ce11s of ma1e and female rats. 3° mast ce11s are
móre sensible to sexual hormones in SMG than in SLG.