Cytosolic calcium oscillations in submandibular gland cells

• Published in: Acta pharmacologica Sinica Vol. 27; no. 7; pp. 843 - 847
• Main Authors: Su, Li, Ma, Chun-yan, Zhou, Yan-dong, Jia, Yan-hong, Cui, Zong-jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01.07.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Calcineurin - metabolism; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium Signaling - physiology; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases - metabolism; Osmolar Concentration; Potassium - metabolism; Submandibular Gland - cytology; Submandibular Gland - metabolism; 下颌下腺; 分泌功能; 钙离子
• ISSN: 1671-4083; 1745-7254
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-7254.2006.00376.x

Calcium oscillations can, by default, encode diverse and specific signals by different modes of modulation. Frequency modulation is illustrated by the activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II at unit Hz, and of calcineurin at 10 mHz frequencies, respectively. The submandibular gland secretory axis is characterized by both potassium and osmolarity gradients from the luminal side of the secretory cells. Such gradients may play significant physiological roles through the feedback modulation of cholinergic stimulation. High potassium transforms plateau calcium increases induced by cholinergic stimulation of the submandibular acinar cells into oscillatory calcium increases. The ductal cells may have similar mechanisms of feedback modulation both by high potassium and by hypoosmolarity. Such feedback mechanisms could modulate the decision-making process for determining which secretory products are selectively released after nerve stimulation.