Communication measured by electrical cell coupling and dye transfer decreased transiently 1 day after parasympathectomy and then recovered 2 days later. Parasympathectomy decreased communication again 2 weeks later, coinciding with a decrease in the wet weight of the gland, but sympathectomy did not affect it. Thus parasympathetic nerve activity may be required for the regulation and maintenance of cell-to-cell communication in the rat submandibular gland.
Animals Cell Communication