The comparability of ethanol concentrations in peripheral blood and saliva. The phenomenon of variation in saliva to blood concentration ratios.
Ethanol appears to reach a higher peak concentration in saliva than in peripheral blood, and to be eliminated from both compartments at different rates. This phenomenon of different elimination rates, which leads to a cross-over of both concentration versus time curves, can be explained by differences in the water content of both body fluids. When the water content is considered, the salivary ethanol concentration parallels the blood level in the elimination phase, more closely in capillary blood than in venous blood.
D002196:Capillaries; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008433:Mathematics; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation; D014680:Veins
D000431:Ethanol