[Secretagogue action of glyceryl guaiacolate in tracheal submucosal glands (author's transl)]

The effects of glyceryl guaiacolate on secretory activities of tracheal secretory cells and on behavior of mucus glycoprotein in these cells were investigated histologically and histochemically using isolated canine trachea. Following glyceryl guaiacolate treatment, the number of total glycoprotein-containing goblet cells (GC) did not change. The numbers of acid glycoprotein (AGP)-, neutral glycoprotein (NGP)-, and sulphated glycoprotein (SGP)-containing GC were also unaltered in a concentration range of 10(-7) to 10(-4)M. On the other hand the acinar inner diameter of the submucosal gland (SG) and the acinar inner diameter to wall ratio significantly increased, while thickness of acinus significantly decreased with 10(-6), 10(-5) and 10(-4)M glyceryl guaiacolate. AGP and SGP contents in glandular cells markedly decreased, while the ratio of the numbers of AGP- to NGP-containing glandular cell were the same, suggesting that glyceryl guaiacolate does not change the quality of mucus glycoprotein in GC and SG. Glyceryl guaiacolate produced a marked increase in total saccharide, protein, and N-acetylhexosamine concentrations in the incubation fluid. These findings suggest that glyceryl guaiacolate has no influence on the secretory activity of GC, but markedly stimulates the activity of SG. The secretagogue effect of the agent would be ascribable to stimulation of mucus discharge, but not stimulation of mucus synthesis.