Protective Action of Saliva in Peptic Ulceration

Abstract

The effect of saliva on gastric secretion was studied in 41 adult men by the method of serial test meals. The essence of the experiments was to exclude the saliva from the stomach in one set of observations and allow its admixture with food in the other. The results showed that the gastric acidity was significantly reduced by the ingestion of saliva both in the case of fluid as well as solid meals. Differences in the mean acidities of the samples were larger in the case of masticatory meals (P<0.001) whereas in the case of non-masticatory sloppy meals these differences were small and not significant. The mucus in the aspirates from the stomach was mostly of salivary origin, and it seems likely that the buffering action of saliva was exerted not only through its bicarbonate content but also through its mucus content. Variations were observed in the titre of group-specific substances as well, but their significance was less clear. These results have implications with regard to the possible protective action of saliva in peptic ulceration.