Effects of surgical ovariectomy on rat salivary gland function.

Studies sought to determine whether there are specific changes in salivary gland protein synthesis and secretion in response to hormone deficiency caused by ovariectomy of female rats. After 50 days, the wet weights of the parotid and submandibular glands did not change with hormone loss while that of the sublingual gland increased by 26% when compared to sham-operated controls. Amylase activity in the parotid declined, as did the level of enzyme activity present in saliva. The amount of the acidic proline-rich protein in the parotid was not altered after ovariectomy when compared to control sham-operated animals, using constant quantities of lysate protein. The total of secreted protein per unit volume did not change with ovariectomy. However, sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole saliva showed the loss of a substantial number of proteins, including amylase and the acidic proline-rich proteins, from the experimental group. Epidermal growth factor concentrations were not significantly altered in the submandibular gland, while again showing a decrease in the concentration from saliva in ovariectomized rats.