Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Electrolyte levels were measured in whole-mixed human saliva collected
from cardiology out-patients, to investigate any salivary electrolyte
changes occurring in such patients after digitalization. Several recent
reports have indicated that clinical symptoms of digitalis intoxication
were associated with increased saliva concentrations of K+ and/or Ca++.
Because salivary glands contain a highly active Na+, K+-ATPase it seemed
logical that these and other salivary electrolytes might be predictably
affected by the circulating levels of digitalis.
Patients receiving digitoxin (Dtxn) had a higher concentration of
Salivary K+ and Ca++ (25.8 ± 2.2 and 2.2 ± 0.2 meq/l, respectively), than
the controls not receiving cardiac glycosides (20.1 ± 1.4 and 2.0 ± 0.1 meq/1, respectively). A similar pattern was not found for patients
receiving digoxin (Dxn), although the mean Ca++ concentration for
females in this group was significantly elevated (control: 1.7 ± 0.2; Dxn:
2.4 ± 0.2 meq/1). The mean serum concentration (ng/ml) of Dtxn was
20.3 ± 1. 9; of Dxn, 1.4 ± 0.2. No change was found in P04, and protein
concentrations, or in salivary flow rates between control and experimental
groups. The results suggest that salivary electrolyte changes occur after
digitalization, but that these changes do not adequately reflect the serum
level of digitalis in individual patients. This study was supported in
part by PHS 80l-RR5312.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:IUPUI/oai:scholarworks.iupui.edu:1805/4370 |
| Date | January 1978 |
| Creators | McDonald, John S., 1947- |
| Contributors | Shafer, William G., Barton, Paul, Bixler, David, El-Kafrawy, Abdel Hady, 1935-, Standish, S. Miles, 1923-2003 |
| Source Sets | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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