Investigating the mechanisms of luminal expansion in human salivary gland ducts: functional study and morphogenetic validation of cell polarization, role of growth factors and intraluminal components

• Grant number: 16/12222-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2016
• End date: July 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Vanessa Lourenço
• Grantee: Tathyane Harumi Nakajima Teshima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/11207-6 - Understanding the role of sympathetic innervation during mouse salivary gland development, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Human salivary glands are essential structures for the production and secretion of saliva, which reaches the oral cavity through the luminal space of salivary ducts. The process of lumen expansion has been recently reported to be required for the duct formation during glandular morphogenesis. It has been reported that this process depends on autonomic neuronal stimulation, which activates epithelial polarisation capable of starting the duct formation. Evidences showing the expression of the neuronal growth factor (NGF) within the ductal system of adult human salivary glands suggest important regulation of the ductal cells, potentially controlling cell proliferation and migration. Thus, this project aims primarily to understand the relationship of the sympathetic nervous stimulation by NGF, evaluating its effects on cell mechanisms during human branching morphogenesis. The final stage of duct formation in turn is based on luminal expansion and maintenance to ensure proper salivary secretion. It has been suggested that the regulatory mechanism of this step is to create turgor of the cells by hydrostatic pressure caused by the activation of ductal ion channels. Preliminary studies from our group indicated important mucin and aquaporin expression in salivary gland development, leading to the second main objective of this project, which is to elucidate the function of these proteins during luminal expansion.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

TESHIMA, T. H. N.; TUCKER, A. S.; LOURENCO, V, S.. Dual Sympathetic Input into Developing Salivary Glands. JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH, v. 98, n. 10, JULY 2019. (16/12222-6, 17/11207-6)