Cockroaches have acinar salivary glands.
The acini consist of peripheral cells specialized for electrolyte and water transport and central cells contributing proteinaceous components to the saliva. Salivary duct cells probably modify the primary saliva. The acinar cells in Nauphoeta cinerea had been shown to be electrically coupled and dye-coupled. We iontophoretically loaded Lucifer yellow into impaled cells and tested for dye-coupling by confocal laser scanning microscopy.