Shrinkage of rat mandibular acinar cell with acetylcholine detected by video-enhanced contrast microscopy.

Changes in acinar cell volume during secretion were observed in the perfused rat mandibular gland by the video-enhanced contrast (VEC) microscopy. The acinar cell shrank (81.3 +/- 4.9% (mean +/- S.D., n = 5] during acetylcholine stimulation and swelled (107.4 +/- 2.3% (n = 5] after cessation of the stimulation. These evidences suggested that a large amount of fluid is transported via transcellular route in the salivary gland.