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We ligated the duct of the rat submandibular gland and to prepare a model of submandibular gland atrophy. Two weeks after ductal ligation, the effects of bFGF on the regeneration of salivary gland tissue were investigated.1) Two-week ductal ligation caused severe atrophy of acini, and the glandular weight decreased up to 26%.2) Isoproterenol and bFGF administration significantly increased the number of PCNApositive cells.3) The proliferative effect of bFGF in vivo was peak at a dose of 1 ng/gland.4) Although isoproterenol stimulated cell proliferation, especially in the ductal region, bFGF promoted the proliferation of various kinds of cells, including acini.5) Two weeks after bFGF administration, the glandular weight increased and the tissue recovered, especially in the acinic region, as compared with the control group. Our results indicate that bFGF may accelerate the regeneration of atrophic salivary gland tissue.

Adenomatoid hyperplasia is an uncommon clinicopathological entity, which is a non-neoplastic, non-inflammatory enlargement of the minor mucous salivary glands. This lesion presents clinically as an asymptomatic tumor-like nodule that is characterized microscopically by a proliferation of minor salivary gland tissue. Very few reports of this lesion have appeared in the literature, and the proliferative activity of adenomatoid hyperplasias has not been studied previously.The number of argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) can be used to study the degree of cell proliferative activity. The mean number of AgNOR increased in a stepwise fashion from normal salivary glands (1.47±0.05) to adenomatoid hyperplasia (1.58±0.05) and pleomorphic adenomas (1.73±0.07). The clinical features also were discussed with a review of the literature.

Six cases of lingual mandibular bone concavity are reported in this paper with review of the literature. This concavity is usually seen between the mandibular canal and the inferior border of the mandible, just anterior to the mandibular angle. This condition is also seen in the anterior portion of the mandible.A variety of terms have been applied to this bone concavity, including static bone cavity, static bone defect, latent bone cyst, idiopathic bone cavity, aberrant salivary gland tissue in the mandible, developmental bone cyst, and so on. Recently, the term, lingual mandibular bone concavity, is thought to express this condition most precisely. Since Stafne described this condition in 1942, numerous cases have been reported in the English literature. In Japan, however, only 49cases have been reported in the available literature.Of our cases, five were present in the posterior portion of the mandible and one in the anterior portion. All our cases occured in males over the fifth decade. Under the clinical diagnosis of mandibular cyst, the one in the anterior portion was treated surgically and its content was examined microscopically. Microscopic findings revealed normal sublingual salivary gland tissue. From the result, the diagnosis of lingual mandibular bone concavity was made. another cases were diagnosed by clinical and radiographic findings These cases are now kept under observation.Of 55 cases reported in the Japanese literature including our 6 cases, 51 cases occured in males. Although, no site distribution was reported previously, our study revealed an inclination to the left side. Most of contents were salivary gland tissue, but fibrous connective tissue and fatty tissue were occasionally involved. It is suggested that salivary gland tissue changes to fibrous connective tissue and fatty tissue with aging. Therefore, salivary gland tissue is considered to play an important role in the formation of this condition.