The development of the granular convoluted duct in the rat submandibular gland

The development of the granular convoluted duct in the submandibular gland of male rats, 4 to 12 weeks of age, was investigated. During this period, the average weight of the gland increased from 213 to 526 mg, the total DNA and RNA contents doubled, and the protein content tripled. Radioautographs were prepared from Epon embedded sections of the gland of the rats given 3-H-thymidine and stained with toluidine blue. The glands of 4-week-old rats consisted mainly of acinar cells (45%), intercalated ductal cells (20%) and striated ductal cells (16%). A few granular convoluted ductal cells were seen in the striated duct close to the intercalated duct. The frequency (and absolute number) of granular convoluted ductal cells increased linearly from 1% (3 X 10-6) at four weeks to 26% (68 X 10-6) at eight weeks, while the calculated number of striated ductal cells remained stationary. The absolute number of acinar cells and intercalated ductal cells nearly doubled between four to eight weeks of age. The proliferative activity of all cell types declined with age but between six and ten weeks of age the rate of proliferation of ductal cells was relatively higher than the rate of proliferation of the acinar cells. Morphologically the size and number of granules in the granular convoluted ductal cells increased with age. Based on the above data it is concluded that the granular convoluted ductal cells developed from that segment of the striated ductal cells which is in close proximity with the intercalated ductal cells. The heterogeneity of the granules in the granular convoluted ductal cells observed from six weeks of age might denote the functional diversity of the cells.