Clinical and Materials Sciences The Effect of Skylab on the Chemical Composition of Saliva

Abstract

The levels of specific proteins and electrolytes in stimulated whole saliva were monitored in Skylab crew members before and after each mission. With few exceptions, mission-associated compositional changes in saliva were relatively minimal. There were no changes in Ca++, K⁺, PO^≡ ₄, Cl^-, albumin, or IgG concentrntions. There were slight decreases in total protein coinciding with moderate saliva flow rate increases iminediately before and after each flight. Other changes included diminutions in Na⁺ and lysozyme, and elevations in Mg⁺⁺ and IgA. The IgA increase was the most pronounced mission-associated change observed.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Brown, L.R. ; Frome, W.J. ; Handler, S.F. ; Wheatcroft, M.G. ; and Johnston, D.A. : The Effect of Skylab Missions on Clinical and Microbiological Aspects of Oral Health, JADA 93:357-363, 1976.

Schneyer, L.H. ; Young, J.A. ; and Schneyer , C.A. : Salivary Secretion of Electrolytes, Physiol Rev 52:720-777, 1972.

Sutton, P.R.N. : Stress and Dental Caries, in Advances in Oral Biology, vol. 2, edited by Staple, P.H. , New York and London, 1966, Academic Press, pp 102-148.

Wotman, S. ; Goddwin, F.J. ; Mandel, I.D. ; and Laragh, J.H. : Changes in Salivary Electrolytes Following Treatment of Primary Aldosteronism , Arch Int Med 124:477-480, 1969.

Wotman, S. , Bigger, J.T. ; Mandel, I.D. ; and Bartelstone, H.J. : Salivary Electrolytes in the Detection of Digitalis Toxicity, New Eng Med 285:871-876, 1971.

Wotman, S. , and Mandel, I.D. : Salivary Indicators of Systemic Disease, Postgrad Med 53:73-82, 1973.

Brown, L.R. ; Dreizen, S. ; Handler, S. ; and Johnston, D.A. : The Effect of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia on the Human Oral Microflora , J Dent Res 54:720-750, 1975.

Dreizen, S. ; Brown, L.R. ; Handler, S. ; and Levy, B.M. : Radiation-Induced Xerostomia in Cancer Patients: Effect on Salivary and Serum Electrolytes, Cancer 38:274-278, 1976.

Osserman, E.F. , and Lawlor, D.P. : Serum and Urine Lysozyme (Muramidase) in Monocytic and Monomyelocytic Leukemia, J Exp Med 124:951-952, 1966.

10.

Brandtzaeg, P. , and Mann, W.V. : A Comparative Study of the Lysozyme Activity of Human Gingival Pocket Fluid, Serum, and Saliva, Acta Odont Scand 22:441-455, 1964.

11.

Adinolfi, M. ; Glynn, A.A. ; Lindsay, M. ; and Milne, C.M. : Serological Properties of yA Antibodies to Escherichia coli Present in Human Colostrum , Immunology , 10 :517-526, 1966.

12.

Evans, R.T. , and Mergenhagen , S.E. : Occurrence of Natural Antibacterial Antibody in Human Parotid Fluid, Proc Soc Exp Biol & Med 119:815-819, 1965.

13.

Lehner, T. ; Cardwell, J.E. ; and Clarry, E.D. : Immunoglobulins in Saliva and Serum in Dental Caries, Lancet 1:1294-1297, 1967.

14.

Brandtzaeg, P. ; Fjellanger, I. ; and Gjeruldsen , S.T. : Human Secretory Immunoglobulins. I. Salivary Secretions from Individuals with Normal or Low Levels of Serum Immunoglobulins, Scand Haematol Suppl 12:1-83, 1970.

15.

Brandtzaec, P. : Local Formation and Transport of Immunoglobulins Related to the Oral Cavity, in Host Resistance to Commensal Bacteria,, Edinburgh and London, 1972, Churchill Livingstone, pp 116-150.

16.

Everhart, D.L. ; Grigsby, W.R. ; and Carter, W.H. : Evaluation of Dental Caries Experience and Salivary Immunoglobulins in Whole Saliva, J Dent Res 51:1487-1491, 1972 .

17.

Lindström, F.D. , and Folke, L.E.A. : Salivary IgA in Periodontal Disease, Acta Odont Scand 31:31-34, 1973.

18.

Brown, L.R. ; Dreizen, S. ; and Bodey, G.P. : Effect of Immunosuppression on the Human Oral Flora, in Comparative Immunology of the Oral Cavity, MERGENHAGEN, S.E. and SCHERP, H.W . (eds), Washington, D.C. , 1973, Government Printing Office, pp 204-220.

19.

Brown, L.R. ; Dreizen, S. ; Rider, L.J. ; and Johnston , D.A. : The Effect of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia on Saliva and Serum Lysozyme and Immunoglobulin Levels, Oral Surg, Oral Med, Oral Path 41:83-92, 1976.

20.

Fiske, C.H. , and Subbarow, Y. : The Colorimetric Determination of Phosphorus , J Biol Chem 66:375-400, 1941.

21.

Schales, O. , and Schales, S.S. : A Simple and Accurate Method for the Determination of Chloride in Biological Fluids, J Biol Chem 140:879-883, 1941.

22.

Lowry, O.H. ; Rosebrough, N.J. ; Farr , A.L. ; and Randall, R.J. : Protein Measurement with the Folin Phenol Reagent, J Biol Chem 193:265-275, 1951.

23.

Mancini, G. ; Carbonara, A.O. ; and Here-Mans , J.F. : Immunochemical Quantitation of Antigens by Single Radial Immunodiffusion, Immunochemistry 2:235-254, 1964.

24.

Merrill, D. ; Hartley, T.F. ; and Claman, H.N. : Electroimmunodiffusion (EID) : A Simple, Rapid Method for Quantitation of Immunoglobulins in Dilute Biological Fluids , J Lab Clin Med 60:151-159, 1967.

25.

Lopez, M. ; Tsu, T. ; and Hyslop, N. : Study of Electroimmunodiffusion: Immunochemical Quantitation of Proteins in Dilute Solutions, Immunochemistry 6:513-526, 1969.

26.

Scheffé, H. : The Analysis of Variance, 1st ed., New York, N.Y., 1959, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pp 112-119.

27.

Johnston, D.A. : Unbalanced Two-Way Analysis of Variance, Department of Bio-mathematics Departmental Report, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, December 1972.

28.

Whedon, G.D. ; Lutwak, L. ; Rambout , P.C. ; Whittle, M.W. ; Smith, W.C. ; Reid, J. ; Leach, C. ; Stadley, C.R. ; and Sand-Ford , D.D. : Mineral and Nitrogen Metabolic Studies, NASA Technical Memorandum, Proceedings of the Skylab Life Sciences Symposium, 1:353-372, November 1974.

29.

Brown, L.R. ; Wheatcroft, M.G. ; Frome , W.J. ; and Rider, L.J. : Effects of a Simulated Skylab Mission on the Oral Health of Astronauts, J Dent Res 53 :1268-1275, 1974.