A Comparison of Certain Properties from Specific Major Salivary Glands of Caries-resistant and Caries-susceptible Rats

Abstract

More than 99% of the amylase activity of saliva from caries-resistant and caries-susceptible rats originated in the parotid glands. Parotid and whole salivas from susceptible rats showed greater amylase activity than these salivas from resistant rats. Whole and submaxillary-sublingual salivas collected at room temperature from resistant rats were more viscous than from susceptible rats. When whole saliva was collected in tubes submerged in ice, there was no difference between resistants and susceptibles. The mean rate of flow and pH of the parotid, submaxillary-sublingual and whole secretions were not essentially different in resistant and susceptible rats. Within each line of rat, the rate of flow of whole saliva from unoperated rats showed the greatest flow rate, parotid saliva was slowest and submaxillary-sublingual saliva was intermediate. Buffering capacity, determined by titratable alkalinity, was significantly greater in susceptible than in resistant whole and submaxillary-sublingual salivas.