Salivary Glands

Dr.Sulita Go Monterde

 Saliva is a complex fluid produced by the salivary glands whose important role is maintaining the well being of the mouth A film of fluid called saliva constantly coats its inner surfaces and occupies the space between the lining oral mucosa and the teeth The functional unit of the salivary gland is the alveolus or acinus

Functions of Saliva
Protection- lubricant -its glycoprotein content which makes it mucinous, protects the lining mucosa by forming a barrier against noxious(harmful) stimuli, microbial toxins and minor trauma -the calcium binding proteins in saliva help form salivary pellicle which behaves as a protective membrane

Buffering -provides a buffer that protects the oral cavity in two ways First--- many bacteria require a specific PH for maximal growth; the buffering capacity of saliva prevents potencial pathogens from colonizing the mouth by denying them optimal environmental conditions Second--- plaque microorganisms can produce acid from sugar, which if not rapidly buffered and cleared by saliva can demineralize enamel

 -the buffering capacity of saliva resides in its bicarbonate and phosphate ions - a salivary peptide sialin plays a significant role in raising the pH of dental plaque after the exposure to fermentable carbohydrates - the ability of saliva to buffer acid is very important because saliva and plaque pH are generally lower in caries active individuals

Digestion Provides taste acuity(acuteness) Neutralizes esophageal contents Dilutes gastric chime Forms the food bolus Breaks down starch because of its amylase contents

Taste -it enables the pleasurable sensation of food -saliva is required to dissolve substances to be tasted and to carry them to the taste buds -contains a protein, gustin that is thought to be necessary for growth and maturation of the taste buds

Antimicrobial Action -barrier effect of its mucus content -contains histatin a spectrum of protein with antimicrobial properties -lysozyme an enzyme that can hydrolyze the cell walls of some bacteria -lactoferrin- binds free ions and in so doing deprives bacteria of the essential elements -antibodies are present- immunoglobulin, secretory IgA- has the capacity to clump or agglutinate microorganisms

 Maintenance of Tooth Integrity -saliva is saturated with calcium and phosphate ions -interaction with saliva results in posteruptive maturation through diffusion of such ions as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and chloride into the surface apatite enamel crystals

Tissue Repair -presence of epidermal growth factor in saliva produced by the submandibular glandsthe rate of wound healing contraction is significantly increased

 Three Pairs of Major Salivary Glands located outside the oral cavity, encapsulated and with extended duct systems to discharge their secretions Submandibular glands --produce more mucinous saliva Parotid glandssecrete watery serous saliva rich in amylase Sublingual glands---produces viscous saliva

 Parotid Gland -pure serous gland, contribute 25% of saliva -largest salivary gland, situated in front of the ear and behind the ramus of the mandible -intimately associated with peripheral branches of the facial (VII) -its duct (Stensens duct) runs forward across the masseter muscle and opens into the oral cavity in a papilla opposite the maxillary second molar

 Submandibular Gland -mixed gland with both serous and mucous secretory units -contribute 60% of saliva -situated in the posterior part of the floor of the mouth, tucked up against the medial aspect of the mandible -excretory duct (Whartons duct) runs forward and opens into the mouth beneath the tongue by way of a small orifice lateral to the lingual frenum or at the caruncula sublingualis

 Sublingual Gland -mucous secretion, contribute 5% of the saliva -almond-shaped, smallest of the three -situated between the floor of the mouth and mylohyoid muscle -secretions enter the oral cavity through a variable series of small ducts opening into a raised sublingual fold or near the submandibular duct (Bartholins duct)

 Smaller minor salivary glands- located just below and within the mucous membrane, unencapsulated and with short duct system Labial --mixed Lingual glands of the tongue Palatalpure mucous Buccal--mixed Glossopalatine- tonsillar foldspure mucous gland Retromolar

 Minor Salivary Glands- contribute about the same amount of the saliva as the sublingual -exist as small, discrete masses occupying the submucosa throughout most of the oral cavity except within the gingival and in the anterior part of the hard palate

 Lingual glandsdivided into several groups

Glands of Blandin and Nuhn anterior lingual glands located near the apex of the tongue; purely mucous in character
Posterior lingual mucous glandsare located lateral and posterior to the vallate papillae and in association with the tonsil; the ducts open onto the dorsal surface of the tongue

 Von Ebners glands--posterior lingual serous glands purely serous glands located between the muscle fibers of the tongue, below the vallate papillae; ducts open into the trough of the vallate papillae and at the rudimentary foliate papillae on the sides of the tongue Posterior lingual serous glandssecretions been described as serving to wash out the trough of the papillae and ready the taste receptors (located in the epithelium of the trough) for a new stimulus

Labial and Buccal -lips and cheeks -mixed Glossopalatine glands -tonsillar folds -pure mucous Palatal Glands -posterior hard palate and soft palate and uvula -pure mucous

 Structure

-the terminal secretory units are composed of serous, mucous and myoepithelial cells arranged into acini or secretory tubules
-the secretions of this units are collected by the intercalated ducts which empty into the striated ducts

 Serous Cells -are specialized for the synthesis, storage and secretion of proteins -pyramidal in shape with its broad base resting in a thin basal lamina and its narrow apex bordering on the lumen - the spherical nucleus is located in the basal region of the cell high protein and low carbohydrates

 Mucous Cells

-for the production, storage and secretion of proteinaceous material

-its secretory material differs from the serous cells in that there is a smaller enzymatic component and the proteins are linked to greater amounts of carbohydrate materialforming mucins

 Mucous Cells -appears as pyramidal with a flattened nucleus located just above the basal plasma membrane -low protein and high carbohydrates -discharge a viscous product called mucin mixes with watery oral fluids, it becomes mucous causing the saliva to be thick and viscous

 Myoepithelial Cells -are closely related to the secretory and intercalated duct cells -originate from the oral epithelium at the time the oral epithelial cells of the salivary gland grow into mesenchyme

 -stellate shape with body of the cell is small, filled mostly with a flattened nucleus and numerous branching cytoplasmic processes radiate out to wrap around the acinar and intercalated duct cells -have a contractile function, helping to expel secretions from the lumina of the secretory units and ducts

Arrangement of Cells in the terminal secretory units

Serous secretory units (Parotid) cells are clustered in a roughly spherical fashion around a central lumen forming an acinus Junctional complexes

Mucous Secretory units

-tubular secretory end piece may be formed -central lumen is usually larger then in serous acini -intercellular canaliculi are not usually present

 In Mixed Glands -separate mucous and serous units may exist whichever is predominant or could be composed of both cells types -if both cells types, the mucous cells are capped at the end by a crescents of several serous cells known as demilunes

Ductal System -varied network of ducts characterized by progressively smaller diameter membranes -smaller diameter are in direct contact with salivary acini Become larger collecting duct oral cavity Participate in prod. & modulation of saliva Secretory duct- ion exchange Excretory duct- saliva-collecting tube

Intercalated ducts -small diameter ducts lined by short cuboidal cells with centrally placed nuclei and little cytoplasm in which acinar cells directly drain -prominent in serous salivary glands with a serous secretion, frequently in the parotid gland

 Striated Ducts -intercalated ducts open directly into a larger duct called striated ducts -lined by columnar cells which have centrally placed nuclei and with eosinophilic cytoplasm -prominent striations caused by enfolding of the basal membrane -sodium resorption and potassium secretion occur in these cells causing changes in the saliva composition

Functions of Salivary Ducts

-convey the primary saliva secreted by the terminal secretory units to the oral cavity -actively modify the primary saliva by secretion and reabsorption of electrolytes and secretion of proteins

 -intercalated duct cells often contain secretory granules and two antibacterial proteins present in saliva, lysozyme and lactoferrin -the striated duct cells contain kallikrein, enzyme found in saliva and synthesize secretory glycoproteins -both are capable of reabsorption of proteins from the lumen by endocytic mechanism

Saliva Composition
-secretion is controlled by the salivary center in the brain and flow is generated by taste (gustatory) -fewer proteins and ions than blood -contains potassium, NaCl, Ca, Mg, phosphorus, carbonate, urea, and traces of ammonia, uric acid, glucose and lipids -salivary proteinamylase (parotid glands), lesser extent (20%) in the submandibular gland -sublingual and minor glandsno amylase

 -lysozyme and albumin - salivary mucinresults viscousity of saliva -epithelial cells shed by the oral epithelium as well as leukocytes from the gingival crevices and lymphocytes from thee tonsils -contains an epidermal growth factor which may assist in the healing of injured oral mucosa

Development of Salivary Gland

-each salivary gland is formed at a specific location in the oral cavity through a growth of a bud of oral epithelium into the underlying mesenchyme -the primordia of parotid and submandibular glands appear during the sixth week - the primordium of the sublingual gland appears after 7 to 8 weeks of fetal life -minor salivary glands begin their development during the third month

 -the epithelial bud grows into an extensively branched system of cords of cells that are first solid but gradually develop a lumen and become ducts -the secretory portions develop later then the duct system and form by repeated branching and budding of the finer cell cords and ducts -noted that in the absence of mesenchyme, the epithelium fails to grow

Innervation
-regulated mostly by the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system -stimulation by sympathetic nerves results in an organic secretion, protein-rich -stimulation by the parasympathetic nerves results in a watery secretion