Presence of immunoreactive endothelin in human saliva and rat parotid gland.
The presence of immunoreactive endothelin (IR-ET) in human saliva and rat parotid gland was investigated by radioimmunoassay. The IR-ET concentration (mean +/- SEM) in saliva taken from normal volunteers was 2.0 +/- 0.2 pmol/l (n = 15). The IR-ET concentration in rat parotid gland was 19.2 +/- 2.2 fmol/g wet weight (n = 10). Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) of human saliva extract revealed 6 peaks; one peak eluting in the void volume, one in a position between ET-1 and -3, and the other four in the positions of synthetic ET-1, -2, -3 and big ET(1-38), respectively. A similar pattern of rat parotid gland extract was noted with FPLC, except that there was no peak after the void volume. Presence of endothelin, a potent growth factor, in saliva and salivary gland points to a role in maintaining the integrity of the oral and gastrointestinal tract mucosa.
Lam
H C
HC
Department of Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Takahashi
K
K
Ghatei
M A
MA
Suda
K
K
Kanse
S M
SM
Bloom
S R
SR
D000818:Animals; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D016232:Endothelins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
D016232:Endothelins