Uptake and metabolism of D-glucose in isolated acinar and ductal cells from rat submandibular glands.

The present study deals with the possible effects of selected environmental agents upon the uptake and metabolism of d-glucose in isolated acinar and ductal cells from the rat submandibular salivary gland. In acinar cells, the uptake of d-[U-(14) C]glucose and its non-metabolised analogue 3-O-[(14) C-methyl]-d-glucose was not affected significantly by phloridzin (0.1 mM) or substitution of extracellular NaCl (115 mM) by an equimolar amount of CsCl, whilst cytochalasin B (20 μM) decreased significantly such an uptake. In ductal cells, both phloridzin and cytochalasin B decreased the uptake of d-glucose and 3-O-methyl-d-glucose. Although the intracellular space was comparable in acinar and ductal cells, the catabolism of d-glucose (2.8 or 8.3 mM) was two to four times higher in ductal cells than in acinar cells. Phloridzin (0.1 mM), ouabain (1.0 mM) and cytochalasin B (20 μM) all impaired d-glucose catabolism in ductal cells. Such was also the case in ductal cells incubated in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) or in media in which NaCl was substituted by CsCl. It is proposed that the ductal cells in the rat submandibular gland are equipped with several systems mediating the insulin-sensitive, cytochalasin B-sensitive and phloridzin-sensitive transport of d-glucose across the plasma membrane.