Action of kinins on salivary myoepithelial cells

1. Bradykinin and kallidin were injected close-arterially into the submaxillary glands of dogs and the effects on the pressure in the salivary ducts were recorded.2. Both kinins in very low dosage (threshold about 0.001 mug/kg) caused a pressure rise in the salivary duct without eliciting any salivary secretion, indicating that they produced contraction of the salivary myoepithelial cells.3. This effect was obtained even after administration of atropine, dihydroergotamine and propranolol.