Amylase activity, protein and urea in saliva of the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)

Parotid and mandibular salivas, produced at flow rates of 0.055 +/- 0.0038 to 4.45 +/- 0.101 and 0.052 +/- 0.0059 to 4.30 +/- 0.072 ml min-1 respectively by intracarotid infusion of acetylcholine or methacholine, were analysed. During acetylcholine stimulation, the protein concentration ranged from 86.4 +/- 10.17 to 235.0 +/- 23.5 mg l-1 in parotid and from 102.9 +/- 11.54 to 379.6 +/- 38.01 mg l-1 in mandibular saliva. The minimum protein concentrations in parotid and mandibular salivas occurred at 0.5 and 1.0 ml min-1 respectively with the concentration rising progressively at lower and higher flow rates. Both glands maintained constant levels of protein during 90 min of sustained stimulation at constant flow rates of 0.5 and 2.0 ml min-1. The optimum pH for salivary amylase activity lay between 7.4 and 7.9 (mean 7.5-7.6). The amylase activity of parotid saliva ranged between 32.2 +/- 3.81 and 94.5 +/- 24.05 mukat l-1 and the activity/protein ratio was similar at all flow rates (mean, 0.39 +/- 0.049 mukat amylase/mg protein). Amylase levels in arterial plasma were constant within experiments but varied from 8.0 +/- 0.07 to 26.4 +/- 0.24 mukat l-1 between experiments, and were always less than corresponding parotid values. Mandibular amylase activities were low, highly variable or often absent. Methacholine-evoked parotid saliva had lower protein concentrations but similar amylase/protein ratios to acetylcholine-stimulated saliva. Urea concentrations in arterial plasma were constant within experiments but varied from 6.71 +/- 0.092 to 14.2 +/- 0.14 mmol l-1 between experiments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)