The natriuretic peptide (NP) system comprises of three ligands, the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP), Brain Natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-type Natriuretic peptide (CNP), and three natriuretic peptide receptors, NPRA, NPRB and NPRC. Here we present a comprehensive study of the natriuretic peptide system in healthy murine and human submandibular salivary glands (SMGs). We show CNP is the dominant NP in mouse and human SMG and is expressed together with NP receptors in ducts, autonomic nerves and the microvasculature of the gland, suggesting CNP autocrine signalling may take place in some of these glandular structures. These data suggest the NP system may control salivary gland function during homeostasis through the regulation of electrolyte re-absorption, neural stimulation and/or blood vessel wall contraction/relaxation. We also show abnormal expression of NPRA in the stroma of a subset of human SMGs resected from patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) of non-salivary gland origin. This finding warrants further research to investigate a possible correlation between early OSCC invasion and NPRA overexpression.

中文翻译：

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利尿钠肽系统在鼠和人下颌唾液腺中的表达：ANB，BNP，CNP及其受体的空间定位研究。

利钠肽（NP）系统由三个配体组成，即心钠素（ANP），脑利钠肽（BNP）和C型利钠肽（CNP），以及三个利钠肽受体NPRA，NPRB和NPRC。在这里，我们对健康的鼠类和人类颌下唾液腺（SMGs）中的利钠肽系统进行了全面的研究。我们显示CNP是小鼠和人类SMG中的主要NP，并与NP受体一起在导管，自主神经和腺体的微血管中表达，这表明CNP自分泌信号可能发生在这些腺体的某些结构中。这些数据表明，NP系统可通过调节电解质的再吸收，神经刺激和/或血管壁收缩/松弛来控制稳态过程中的唾液腺功能。我们还显示从诊断为非唾液腺来源的口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）的患者切除的人类SMG子集的基质中，NPRA的异常表达。这一发现值得进一步研究，以调查早期OSCC入侵与NPRA过表达之间的可能相关性。