Ultrastructure of normal human parotid gland with special emphasis on myoepithelial distribution.

The myoepithelium in human parotid, unlike that in other species, is not limited to the acinar-intercalated ductal system but extends to the intra- and extralobular striated ducts. Myoepithelial cells of the striated ducts are smaller, fewer, and different in shape but they are similar in their relationships and ultrastructural morphology to the acinar-intercalated system. Distribution of myoepithelium is discussed with respect to its role and participation in the histogenesis of salivary gland tumours, especially those of intermediate and large duct cell origin.

Development of the hamster submandibular gland. II. The ductal system.

The major secretory duct is differentiated from the SMG anlage in early embryogenesis and undergoes minor morphologic changes from its inception until full maturation. Structurally, the ducts appear to be suited for a conduit function. At birth, the extralobular and intralobular ducts arise directly from the major duct or indirectly from the primary and secondary branches, respectively. They are distinguishable from each other by their topography only. However, developmentally, intralobular ducts give rise to 'terminal tubule' complexes but no such function is performed by the extralobular ducts. Both duct types first show distinct evidence of striation of their cells at one week after birth. Their lateral and basal infoldings, interdigitations and close association with mitochondria provide them with increased surface area and a source of energy for exchange of ions and fluids. The differentiation of convoluted granular ducts begins at 2 weeks of age with the appearance of membrane-bound and dense secretory granules in the apical cytoplasm of the luminal cells. The changes start in the proximal segment of the intralobular striated duct, and extend to occupy a large part of it in a mature 6-week old animal. These ducts comprise the bulk of the ductal system. The distribution of the granules is size-gradient dependent, the small granules being near the lumen and the large ones being close to the nucleus. The morphologic features of CGD are in keeping with absorptive and secretory functions.

Light and ultrastructural features of lymphoepithelial lesions of the salivary glands in Mikulicz's disease.

This investigation deals with the histogenesis of the so-called 'epimyoepithelial islands' in Mikulicz's disease of the major salivary glands and is based on light and electron microscopic study in six patients. The 'epimyoepithelial islands' represent collapsed acini prior to their complete involution and disappearance, the intraductal cellular proliferation, stratification and differentiation into luminal and peripheral myoepithelial cells with partial and complete obliteration of their lumina and finally, cord-like proliferation and formation of nests of residual pluripotential cells showing squamous metaplasia and occasional myoepithelial cell differentiation. A pink, homogeneous and hyaline material on light microscopic examination is multilayered and extracellular and is in close association with the basal lamina when viewed with electron microscope.

Development of the hamster submandibular gland. I. The acinar-intercalated duct complex.

On the basis of light and electronmicroscopic observations of the prenatal and postnatal development of the hamster submandibular gland, several stages of cyto-morphodifferentiation were identified. The initial critical period was between the 13th and 14th day of gestation. An anlage of 'undifferentiated' pluripotential stem cells was transformed into terminal tubules which consisted of secretory cells, myoepithelial cell precursors and stem cells. From the periphery of the terminal tubules originated terminal buds which were the forerunners of the acini. The intercalated ducts, terminal tubules and terminal buds constituted the 'terminal tubule complex'. Several morphological similarities were noted between the hamster and the rat developing SMG and between the hamster developing SMG and the rat parotid. It seemed that various human salivary gland tumors recapitulated different stages of their normal cytomorphogenesis.

Prenatal and postnatal histogenesis of myoepithelium in hamster submandibular gland. An ultrastructural study.

Prenatal and postnatal development of myoepithelium in the hamster submandibular gland has been studied by electronmicroscopy. Myoepithelial cells originate from 'undifferentiated' stem cells in the epithelial anlage at 14-1/2 days of gestation. At this stage of their cytodifferentiation, the myoepithelial cells are recognizable by their elongated shape, peripheral location between the basal lamina and other epithelial cells in the anlage, axially oriented dense nucleus and low density cytoplasm. The myofilament deposition starts at birth, initially in the basal cytoplasm. With advancing maturation, there is a progressive increase in the number of myofilaments and in two week-old animals they virtually fill the cytoplasm. The mature myoepithelial cells are characterized by their shape, location, cytoplasmic myofilaments which run parallel to the basal lamina and display focal densities along their course, hemidesmosomes and pinocytotic vesicles. The morphologic evidence supports their epithelial origin but militates against their ability to mediate the synthesis of fibrous, mucinous, chondroid or osseous material as proposed by others (Grishman, 1952; Azzopardi and Smith, 1959; Doyle et al., 1968; Hubner et al., 1971).

Ultrastructure of monomorphic adenoma (ductal type) of the minor salivary glands.

A monomorphic adenoma (ductal type) of the palatal minor salivary glands is reported. Ultrastructurally, the predominant tumor cells contained zymogenlike dense secretory granules. There was a continuum from tumor cells with little or no secretory granules to ones with increasing numbers of granules. Except for that, the tumor cells shared many of their fine structural features. Histogenetically, the tumor originated from neoplastic proliferations of "undifferentiated" stem cells corresponding to "end-bud" stage of salivary glands embryogenesis. Under neoplastic influences, such cells underwent further cytodifferentiation and functional maturation along the secretory cell lines. In mature salivary glands, such pluripotential cells reside as "reserve" cells in the intercalated ducts.