Submaxillary and Retrolingual Gland Hypertrophy by Different Incisor Amputations in the Rat

¹ Department of Physiology, School of Dentistry, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

The effects of repeated amputations of four, three, two, or one incisor teeth during 2 weeks upon the size of the submaxillary and retrolingual glands were studied in male rats.

The submaxillary and retrolingual hypertrophy produced by both lower incisors amputations was greater when they were performed daily or every other day, than when they were made every 4 days.

The greatest hypertrophy of both glands was produced by the amputation of the four incisors, which was followed in decreasing order by three incisor amputation, two lower incisor amputation, one upper plus one lower incisor amputation, and one lower incisor amputation.

Bilateral or unilateral upper incisor amputation did not produce hypertrophy but might produce slight atrophy especially of the amputated side.

There is a marked parallelism between the increased incisor eruption rates and the hypertrophy of the salivary glands of the same side.

The histometric measurements did not detect changes in the size of the serous tubules, there being a specific hypertrophy of the acini.