Abstract
Appropriate composition of oral saliva is essential for a healthy milieu that protects mucosa and teeth. Only few studies, with small sample numbers, investigated physiological saliva ion composition in humans. We determined saliva ion composition in a sufficiently large cohort of healthy adults and analyzed the effect of physiological stimulation. We collected saliva from 102 adults under non-stimulated and physiologically stimulated conditions (chewing). Individual flow rates, pH, osmolality, Na+, K+, Cl-, and HCO3- concentrations under both conditions as well as the individual changes due to stimulation (Δvalues) were determined. Non-stimulated saliva was hypoosmolal and acidic. Na+, Cl-, and HCO3- concentrations remained well below physiological plasma values, whereas K+ concentrations exceeded plasma values more than twofold. Stimulation resulted in a doubling of flow rates and substantial increases in pH, HCO3-, and Na+ concentrations. Overall, stimulation did not considerably affect osmolality nor K+ or Cl- concentrations of saliva. An in-depth analysis of stimulation effects, using individual Δvalues, showed no correlation of Δflow rate with Δion concentrations, indicating independent regulation of acinar volume and ductal ion transport. Stimulation-induced Δ[Na+] correlated with Δ[HCO3-] and Δ[Cl-] but not with Δ[K+], indicating common regulation of ductal Na+, Cl-, and HCO3- transport. We present a robust data set of human oral saliva ion composition in healthy adults and functional insights into physiological stimulation. Our data show (i) that flow-dependence exists for Na+ and HCO3- but not for K+ and Cl- concentrations, (ii) osmolality is flow-independent, (iii) regulation of Na+, Cl-, and HCO3- transport is coupled, (iv) regulation of flow rate and ion concentrations are independent and (v) spatially separated between acini and ducts, respectively.
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