A study on mechanisms regulating salivary secretion during feeding

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26500009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Integrated Nutrition Science
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: FUJITA Masako 岡山大学, 医歯薬学総合研究科, 助手 (40156881)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 摂食 / 唾液分泌 / 視床下部外側野 / 上唾液核ニューロン / 摂食促進ペプチド / メラニン凝集ホルモン / オレキシン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is most likely that salivary secretion during feeding is regulated by the lateral hypothalamic area (LH). We investigated the effects of melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) which is a feeding promoting peptide localized in the LH, on superior salivatory nucleus (SSN) neurons, which is the primary center of the parasympathetic nervous systems for the submandibular and sublingual glands. No SSN neurons exhibited immunoreactivity for MCH receptor and responded to MCH application. However, in the same recording neurons, orexin, a feeding promoting peptide localized in the LH as with MCH, showed excitatory responses. Therefore, regulation of SSN neuronal activity by LH would be conducted by other transmitters including orexin.

Free Research Field

口腔機能の自律神経性調節機構に関する研究