Possible relationship between salivary kallikrein and water-Na-K secretion stimulated by tityustoxin (TsTx)

Intravenous injection of purified scorpion toxin (TsTx) brings about the appearance of salivary flow with high levels of Na and K and kallikrein in the saliva of the rats. In experiments performed in vivo a positive correlation between Na and partially with K and kallikrein was observed in parotid and submaxillary saliva. After ouabaine, saliva K was increasing, whereas Na decreased, and a parallel decrease of kallikrein was observed. Adrenergic and cholinergic blocking drugs also showed a marked reduction in the output of Na (atropine), and partially of K (atropine or phentolamine), with a correlation in theoutput of kallikrein per min. The results of the present investigations support the hypothesis that salivary kallikrein-kinin system is probably involved in salivary control of Na, partially K and water secretion.