154 The Inorganic Components of Saliva 



shows a similar chloride concentration to parasympathetic saliva 

 but after large doses of adrenaline the chloride concentration is 

 raised for many hours (Langstroth, McRae and Stavraky, 1938). 

 There is no clear evidence of the effects of changes in plasma chlor- 

 ide on the salivary secretion of chloride but when the plasma chlor- 

 ide was reduced from 118 mEq/1. to 80 mEq/1. by administration 

 of bromide there was no change in saliva/plasma ratio for chloride 

 (Lipschitz, 19290). On the other hand, when the serum chloride is 

 reduced (and bicarbonate increased) by administration of bicar- 

 bonate or carbonate not only does the saliva bicarbonate sometimes 

 rise but the chloride may rise considerably (de Beer and Wilson, 

 1932). The chloride concentration in saliva may be influenced 

 independently of the plasma chloride by changes of arterial pC0 2 

 (see page 219). The chloride concentration of saliva is not affected 

 by iodide, thiocyanate or perchlorate (Freinkel and Ingbar, 1953; 

 Ferguson, Naimark and Hildes, 1957). A fall in saliva chloride 

 accompanies the decrease in sodium and rise in potassium of 

 saliva after administration of desoxycorticosterone (White, Ent- 

 macher, Rubin and Leiter, 1955); no changes were produced by 

 the diuretics mercuhydrin or acetazoleamide (Chauncey and Weiss, 

 1958). McCance (1938) found no change in saliva chloride in 

 patients that were salt depleted. Hober and Ferrari (1933) made 

 the very interesting observation on perfused submaxillary glands 

 that when suitable concentrations of cyanide or iodacetate were 

 added to the perfusion fluid there was a sharp rise in the salivary 

 chloride concentration. Finally, in cystic fibrosis of the pancreas, 

 only moderate changes in chloride concentration in saliva have 

 been found (Kaiser, Kunstadter and Mendelsohn, 1956) unlike 

 the considerable changes in sodium (Prader and Gautier, 1955). 

 Bromide behaves very much like chloride but the saliva/plasma 

 ratio tends to be slightly higher (Lipschitz, 1929). 



FLUORIDE 



Surprisingly little data is available on salivary fluoride secretion 

 in view of the great interest taken in this subject from the point of 

 view of dental caries. McClure (1941) found the saliva fluoride in 

 children to be in the range of 0-006-0-015 mEq/1. (i.e. 0-10-0-24 

 p. p.m.) and to bear a crude relationship to the level of fluoride 

 in the drinking water. Martin and Hill (1950) found a slightly 

 higher (0-008-0-019 mEq/1.) level in the Chicago area. In neither 



