Connexins expression mapping in salivary glands: profiling in multiple stages of morphogenesis from human submandibular glands and pilot study of an in vitro model for a connexins expression panel determination

• Grant number: 22/08345-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Vanessa Lourenço
• Grantee: Karine Harumi Shiguio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The salivary glands are responsible for the synthesis and secretion of saliva, an important lubricant fluid in the oral cavity. However, pathophysiological alterations may influence the salivary glands' function, affecting the oral health, with clinical manifestations such as xerostomia, the subjective sensation of dry mouth. The salivary fluid synthesis is dependent upon multiple processes, and among them the connexins play an important role in the regulation of permeability and glandular secretion. Assuming that the connexins may be involved in stages of saliva production and release, our goal is to elucidate the participation and function of connexins in morphogenesis, production, and secretion of saliva in human salivary glands, by the analysis of connexins expression in multiple stages of morphogenesis in bidimensional cell culture (2D) of human salivary glands collected from surgical margins.