A study of the oral secretions of rats stimulated by pilocarpine

Abstract

Saliva samples were collected from groups of five rats under pilocarpine stimulation. The rats underwent surgical procedures which isolated the secretions from the various salivary glands. The quantities produced by each set of glands were measured, and estimations of inorganic phosphate and prote in contents were made. The viscosities of the samples were also noted. Oral fluid obtained from rats following an injection of pilocarpine nitrate contained no bronchial, nasal or lacrimal secretions. Of the oral glands, only the parotid and the submandibular and major sublingual glands appeared to contribute significantly to the sample of mixed saliva that was collected. The submandibular and major sublingual group of glands secreted about three times as much saliva as the parotid. Parotid saliva had more than four times as much protein as submandibular saliva, and may have had slightly more inorganic phosphate. The viscosity of parotid saliva was lower than that of the secretion obtained from the submandibular-major sublingual group of glands, storage affecting the viscosity of both.