Yer Çekiminin Tükürük Bezlerinin Protein Yapısına Olan Etkisinin Incelenmesi

Abstract

Alterations in intracellular location and quantity of salivary secretion proteins are indicatives of systemic responses to environmental, hormonal and physiologic factors. It is known that gravity alters multiple organ and system functions. Salivary gland secretory granule proteins secreted into saliva enable to monitor the effects of gravity. In terms of the existence of similar secretion proteins in humans, as well as structural and functional similarities of rodent salivary glands to that of humans, rodent salivary glands aid in evaluating human responses to gravity. The objectives of this thesis study are to measure the basal level of salivary proteins of ground control and flight experimental animals and to determine the effects of gravity on protein expression and cellular distribution of proteins. Comparisons between flight experimental group and ground control group, consisting of eight mice each, were performed by immunogold labeling method using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Analyses showed that salivary androgen binding protein (SABPα), epidermal growth factor (EGF), parotid secretion protein (PSP), the regulatory subunit II (RII) of protein kinase A and proline-rich protein (PRP) were found in higher amounts in flight experimental group than ground control group. Demilune cell and parotid protein (DCPP), nerve growth factor (NGF), mucin 19 (MUC 19), submandibular gland protein C (SMG-C) were found higher amounts in ground control group than flight experimental group. Further studies will lead to the development of salivary tests for measuring the reactions of human body reaction against the gravity changes. Thus, the knowledge and also the practical application potential about the effects of the gravity on biological systems will increase.