4.2. Sialoadenectomy Model

Transgenic mice, 5–7 weeks old, had their parotid glands resected in accordance with a well-established protocol, and were maintained under pathogen-free conditions for 2 weeks [36,37]. Under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)), a 2-cm skin incision was made in the neck, and the parotid gland removed bilaterally. Mice were placed on a hotplate after the operation. To confirm resection of parotid tissue, hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Control mice underwent a sham operation. Mice were randomly assigned to these operations (six to seven mice per experimental group). These mice (7–9 weeks old) were also used for assessment of Gad1 mRNA expression and behavioral analyses.