Distribution of alpha‐synuclein in rat salivary glands

Expression of alpha‐synuclein (Syn), a presynaptic neuronal protein, was immunohistochemically examined in intact rat submandibular, sublingual, and lingual glands. The submandibular gland contained abundant periductal Syn‐immunoreactive (−ir) nerve fibers. Abundant Syn‐ir varicosities were present in acini of the sublingual and serous lingual glands. By confocal laser scanning microscopy, Syn‐ir nerve fibers around smooth muscle actin (SMA)‐ir cells alone were infrequent; however, those around aquaporin‐5 (AQP5)‐ir cells alone and both SMA‐ and AQP5‐ir cells were abundant in the sublingual and serous lingual glands. SMA‐ir cells were occasionally immunoreactive for toll‐like receptor 4, a Syn receptor. Syn‐ir nerve fibers contained tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the submandibular gland and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in all examined salivary glands. In the superior cervical (SCG), submandibular, and intralingual ganglia, sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons co‐expressed Syn with TH and ChAT, respectively. SCG neurons innervating the submandibular gland contained mostly Syn. In the thoracic spinal cord, 14.7% of ChAT‐ir preganglionic sympathetic neurons co‐expressed Syn. In the superior salivatory nucleus, preganglionic parasympathetic neurons projecting to the lingual nerve co‐expressed Syn and ChAT. The present findings indicate that released Syn acts on myoepithelial cells. Syn in pre‐ and post‐ganglionic neurons may regulate neurotransmitter release and salivary volume and composition.