Disease relevance of Exocrine Glands

• Cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease characterized by abnormalities of exocrine gland and mucociliary function, has recently been shown to be associated with abnormal adrenergic and cholinergic physiologic responses in addition to decreased beta adrenergic-induced cyclic AMP generation in human leukocytes [1].
• These results suggest that elevated levels of IL-1beta, as they occur in Sjögren syndrome exocrine glands, may impair the secretory function of these tissues [2].
• The association of SS with PBC, significantly higher in patients with than without ulcer, supports the hypothesis that the underlying exocrine gland defect is involved in the development of duodenal ulcer [3].
• Serum samples containing high levels of lipases from patients with pancreatic diseases or patients in whom the pancreatic exocrine gland had been stimulated by injecting caerulein and secretin were analyzed by these methods [4].
• Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands and a polyclonal B-cell activation; it is demonstrated by the presence of multiple autoantibodies against organ- and non-organ-specific autoantigens [5].

Psychiatry related information on Exocrine Glands

• Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein synthesized by neutrophils and exocrine glands, plays an important role in human innate defense mechanisms against bacteria, fungi, and viruses [6].

High impact information on Exocrine Glands

• Exocrine gland dysfunction in MC5-R-deficient mice: evidence for coordinated regulation of exocrine gland function by melanocortin peptides [7].
• Mice lacking E2F-1 are viable and fertile, yet experience testicular atrophy and exocrine gland dysplasia [8].
• Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is known to have powerful effects on the secretion from several endocrine and exocrine glands, and occurs in nerves with a ubiquitous distribution in the body [9].
• Id3(-/-) mice were found to have autoantibodies, lymphocytic infiltrates in, and decreased secretion by exocrine glands [10].
• XBP-1 is required for biogenesis of cellular secretory machinery of exocrine glands [11].

Chemical compound and disease context of Exocrine Glands

• Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a single-gene disease caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which result in disrupted chloride secretions with inspissated mucous secretions by exocrine glands [12].
• Cystic fibrosis, an autosomal recessive disease affecting exocrine glands, is associated in many cases with a severe undernutritional state, growth retardation and glucose intolerance [13].
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a pathologic disorder that develops in response to the action of dihydrotestosterone on the aging prostate and to changes in stromal and epithelial cells in this exocrine gland [14].

Biological context of Exocrine Glands

• Indeed, transgenic expression of the RbAp48 gene induced apoptosis in the exocrine glands but not in other organs [15].
• Regulation of acetyl-CoA:1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine O2-acetyltransferase (lyso-PAF-acetyltransferase) in exocrine glands. Evidence for an activation via phosphorylation by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase [16].
• It is concluded that bovine tracheal muscle membranes contain a heterogeneous population of muscarine binding sites, the majority having M2 (heart) subtype characteristics and being located on the smooth muscle membranes; a minority having M3 (exocrine gland) subtype characteristics and presumed to be located in submucosal glands [17].
• A long-term feeding experiment lasting for almost four months revealed that retronecine esters synthesized from [14C]retronecine in the larvae are transferred from larvae via pupae into the exocrine glands of adult beetles [18].
• Effect of carbachol and prostaglandin E2 on chloride secretion and signal transduction in the exocrine glands of frog skin (Rana esculenta) [19].

Anatomical context of Exocrine Glands

• This ion channel resides at the luminal surfaces and in endosomes of epithelial cells that line the airways, intestine, and a variety of exocrine glands [20].
• MC5-R messenger RNA was found in exocrine glands, including lacrimal, Harderian, preputial, and prostate glands and pancreas, as well as in adrenal gland, esophagus, and thymus, as demonstrated by ribonuclease protection assays [21].
• Targeted disruption of the melanocortin 5 receptor in transgenic mice results in widespread dysfunction of exocrine glands, including a marked decrease in sebum production [22].
• Based on extensive studies in animal models as well as in humans, convincing evidence is available that antigen-sensitized and IgA-committed precursors of plasma cells from GALT are disseminated to the gut, other mucosa-associated tissues, and exocrine glands [23].
• GTP-binding proteins were identified in rat parotid acinar plasma-enriched membranes (PM) by immunoblot analysis and localized immunohistochemically in the parotid gland as well as in other exocrine glands by using affinity-purified antisera specific for alpha subunits of the G proteins [24].

Associations of Exocrine Glands with chemical compounds

• Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor structure in acinar cells of mammalian exocrine glands [25].
• BACKGROUND: Cevimeline hydrochloride is a cholinergic agent with muscarinic agonist activity prominently affecting the M1 and M3 receptors prevalent in exocrine glands [26].
• In particular, P2X(4) and P2X(7) receptor subunits are colocalized on immune, epithelial, and exocrine gland cells, but both are relatively insensitive to suramin and pyridoxal-5-phosphate-6-azo-2',4'-disulfonic acid derivative [27].
• In conclusion, our study demonstrates the expression of hNIS protein by several human exocrine glands, suggesting that iodide transport in these glands is a specific property conferred by the expression of hNIS protein, which may serve important functions by concentrating iodine in glandular secretions [28].
• X and G thus exerted selective effects on the exocrine glands [29].

Gene context of Exocrine Glands

• SF-1 immunoreactivity was also detected in the exocrine glands and was stronger than DAX-1 in the inner root sheath, matrix cells, and dermal papilla cells [30].
• These results demonstrate that NHE1 is critical for regulating pHi during a muscarinic agonist-stimulated acid challenge and probably plays an important role in regulating fluid secretion in the sublingual exocrine gland [31].
• Recently, the melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5R) has been demonstrated to have a role in the regulation of exocrine gland function [32].
• Melanocortin receptors (MC1R-MC5R) and their ligands (melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH)) have been shown to influence physiological functions of cells and organs, including exocrine glands [33].
• A major site of expression of the ets transcription factor Elf5 is epithelia of exocrine glands [34].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Exocrine Glands

• 1. The cellular localization of kallikrein was investigated in rat and human exocrine glands and kidney by a direct immunofluorescence technique [35].
• Fas ligand expression by lymphocytes infiltrating the lacrimal glands and by peripheral blood monocytes in Sjögren's syndrome patients with enlarged exocrine glands was assessed immunohistologically and by immunoblotting [36].

References