QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Watson, R. R. Articles by Antal, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Watson, R. R. Articles by Antal, M.

Effect of Moderate Chronic Protein Deficiency on Rat Salivary Components^1,2,

Department of Microbiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Chronic protein insufficiency was achieved in rats with an 8% protein diet initiated at weaning. The total activity and activity per milliliter of the principal salivary protein, amylase, were significantly decreased at day 66. The amount of total protein per milliliter of saliva and total protein in stimulated saliva collected during 30 minutes was decreased in the malnourished rats. The levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and aminopeptidase in saliva were not affected by dietary status. Prolonged malnutrition on the low-protein, high-starch diet resulted in an apparent stimulation or induction of salivary amylase and protein secretion by day 110. Total protein collected and milligram of protein per milliliter of saliva were very similar in the malnourished and control rats at day 110. Salivary amylase activity in the malnourished rats was significantly greater than in the saliva of controls. The initial decrease in the principal salivary protein, amylase, and in total protein followed by a significant increase with prolonged stimulation by low-protein and high-starch diets suggests that early protein deficiency retards synthesis of amylase and that a high-starch diet may induce salivary amylase production.

KEY WORDS: • amylase • saliva • protein malnutrition • aminopeptidase • IgG

¹ This project was suported, in part, by NIH Grant No. HD-09098, Wallace Genetic Foundation Inc. and the National Live Stock and Meat Board.

² Presented, in part, at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 1976. Watson, R. R. & Selmici, M. A., Fed. Proc. 35, 257 (1976).

³ To whom reprint requests should be sent at this address: Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.

⁴ Present address: Institute of Nutrition Gyali at 3/a, Budapest, 1097, Hungary.

Manuscript received 6 August 1979.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J.-F. Blais and M.C. Lavoie Effect of Dietary Components on the Indigenous Oral Bacterial Flora of BALB/c Mice Journal of Dental Research, March 1, 1990; 69(3): 868 - 873. [Abstract] [PDF]

				I. Johansson, T. Ericson, W. Bowen, and M. Cole The Effect of Malnutrition on Caries Development and Saliva Composition in the Rat Journal of Dental Research, January 1, 1985; 64(1): 37 - 43. [Abstract] [PDF]