1 62 The Inorganic Components of Saliva 



evidence that phosphoethanolamine accounts for part of the 

 organic phosphorus in saliva. There are also traces of phospholipid 

 present. 



PAROTID SECRETION OF THE SHEEP 



The parotid secretion of the sheep has recently been studied in 

 detail and provides some interesting comparisons with the saliva 

 of non-ruminant mammals. The saliva is hypertonic to plasma, 

 the osmolarity averaging about 335 milliosmols/1. as compared 

 with 285 for plasma. It is also quite alkaline due to a high bicar- 

 bonate concentration (100-140 mEq/L). The chloride concentra- 



m 



eq/i. 



160- 

 120- 

 80- 

 40 



r^-**' 



160% 



Total 120 

 m Eq/day 

 SO 



40 



mjr„ 600 



m EQ 300 



> 



yn 



w \ 



Key 



Sodium —.*.—. 

 Potassium »— K — 



Fistula 



A A r \ 



>i< Key 



\ Sodium .-.^-*« 

 * Potassium x — x— x 



MtmAtV Urim 



Fistula volume 



5 10 15 20 25 

 Days 



Fig. 8.12. Saliva from a sheep with a parotid fistula. 



When the daily intake of 595 mEq NaHC0 3 was withheld, the saliva sodium fell and the 

 potassium rose. When the intake of sodium was restored, restitution of the cation concentrations 

 in the saliva occurred (Denton, 1956). 



