Inhibition of ouabain-sensitive ATPase by the saliva of patients with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas.

A study has been made of the effect of saliva from children with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (CFP) on various components of the ATP hydrolyzing enzyme system. The ouabain-sensitive ATPase activity of erythrocyte membranes prepared from intact erythrocytes preincubated with CFP saliva was 35 +/- 4 nmol Pi/mg fry wt membrane suspension/hr, compared with 48 +/- 7 nmol Pi/mg dry wt membrane suspension/hr when the erythrocytes were preincubated with control saliva. A calcium-activated component of ATPase was decreased from 202 +/- 30 nmol Pi/mg dry wt membrane suspension/hr in erythrocytes preincubated with control saliva, to 151 +/- 17 nmol Pi/mg dry wt membrane suspension/hr when the incubation was carried out with CFP saliva. In a second series of experiments, ultrafiltered saliva was added directly to an ATPase assay. The saliva from children with CFP brought about a mean decrease in ouabain-sensitive ATPase of 16% compared with control saliva.