title: The effect of chronic propranolol treatment on salivary composition and caries in the rat.
abstract: Many drugs are known to affect salivary secretion. The purpose of this study was to explore the chronic effects of a commonly used beta-adrenergic blocker, propranolol. Adult rats were desalivated or treated for 28 days with propranolol HCl (10 or 20 mg/kg, daily) or sterile buffer (sham-operated control) using osmotic pumps for delivery. The parotid and submandibular glands of each rat were cannulated and secretion elicited by pilocarpine (10 mg/kg, intravenous). There were no statistical differences in salivary protein content (Lowry) or output among the groups (ANOVA, p greater than 0.05). Analysis of salivary proteins by SDS-PAGE revealed a constant profile for submandibular secretions, but peak A and SP-3 proline-rich proteins were not detectable in parotid saliva of animals treated with propranolol for the entire experiment. Significantly increased smooth-surface (p = 0.0003) and sulcal (p = 0.0011) caries scores were found within these propranolol groups (ANOVA). The findings provide further evidence that chronic administration of propranolol alters salivary composition by decreasing proline-rich proteins and concurrently enhances susceptibility to caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Research, University of Rochester, NY 14642.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Falany
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Tabak
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Bowen
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012463:Saliva / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D010862:Pilocarpine; D011433:Propranolol