Are myoepithelial cells responsible for the widespread expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in pleomorphic adenoma? An immunohistochemical study

Many of the actions of nitric oxide (NO) are still poorly understood. Recen tly, it has been shown that the inducible isoform of the enzyme nitric oxid e synthase, iNOS, is expressed in both salivary ducts and pleomorphic adeno ma. The current immunohistochemistry study determined whether or not this d istribution correlated with smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression, thereby s uggesting the expression by myoepithelial cells in both sites. Twenty cases of histologically confirmed pleomorphic adenoma, the sections of which con tained adjacent normal salivary gland tissue, were stained for iNOS and smo oth muscle actin (clone 1A4). The salivary ducts of all cases were stained intensely by both antibodies, with smooth muscle actin staining also being noted around acini in the normal gland parenchyma. Moderate or heavy staini ng for iNOS was found in all specimens of pleomorphic adenoma, with smooth muscle actin being distributed in a similar manner in 19 cases. Smooth musc le actin, but not iNOS, was also noted in blood vessels of both normal glan ds and tumours. The correlation between iNOS and SMA in pleomorphic adenoma was significant (P<0.001). The presence of iNOS in normal salivary ducts a nd pleomorphic adenoma is most likely due to expression by myoepithelial ce lls.