Increased esteropeptidase activities to androgen treatment in rat submandibular glands after parasympathectomy

We have previously reported that esteropeptidase activity conspicuously inc reases in response to androgen in the rat submandibular gland following pre ganglionic parasympathectomy. In the present study, increases in the enzyme activity with androgen treatment were compared in the glands after semilat eral preganglionic parasympathectomy and semilateral postganglionic parasym pathectomy. In the glands with preganglionic parasympathectomy, both relati ve gland weight and esteropeptidase activities of the operated side to the intact side were higher in androgen-treated groups than in oil-treated grou ps from 5 to 14 days after the operation. On the other hand, until 7 days a fter postganglionic parasympathectomy, there was no difference in such rela tive values for gland weight and enzyme activities between androgen- and oi l-treated groups. Only on the 14th day of postganglionic parasympathectomy, the relative enzyme activities became higher in androgen-treated groups th an in oil-treated groups. These results indicate that androgen treatment pr oduced about one week earlier increases of the enzyme activities in glands with preganglionic parasympathectomy than in ones with postganglionic paras ympathectomy. Such earlier occurrence of the androgen responses in glands w ith preganglionic parasympathectomy could be due to activities of the paras ympathetic ganglion cells.