title: Attenuated acute salivary α-amylase responses to gustatory stimulation with citric acid in thin children.
abstract: Salivary α-amylase (sAA) is responsible for the 'pre-digestion' of starch in the oral cavity and accounts for up to 50 % of salivary protein in human saliva. An accumulating body of literature suggests that sAA is of nutritional importance; however, it is still not clear how sAA is related to individual's nutritional status. Although copy number variations (CNV) of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) are associated with variation in sAA levels, a significant amount of sAA variation is not explained by AMY1 CNV. To measure sAA responses to gustatory stimulation with citric acid, we used sAA ratio (the ratio of stimulated sAA levels to those of resting sAA) and investigated acute sAA responses to citric acid in children with normal (Normal-BMI, n 22) and low (Low-BMI, n 21) BMI. The AMY1 gene copy number was determined by quantitative PCR. We, for the first time, demonstrated attenuated acute sAA responses (decreased sAA ratio) to gustatory stimulation in Low-BMI (thinness grade 3) children compared with the Normal-BMI children, which suggest that sAA responses to gustatory stimulation may be of nutritional importance. However, child's nutritional status was not directly related to their resting or stimulated sAA levels, and it was not associated with AMY1 gene copy number. Finally, AMY1 CNV might influence, but did not eventually determine, sAA levels in children.
authors.affiliation: Pi-Wei Institute, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Long Hui
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Courses, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ze Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Pi-Wei Institute, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei Wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: School of Basic Courses, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Haizhu Maternal and Child Health Hospital,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital/School of Clinical Medicine of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao Rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Clinical Medical College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou,People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation; D013851:Thinness / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D019343:Citric Acid; C524788:AMY1A protein, human; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases
keywords: Nutritional status