saliva - biochemistry Flashcards
what things happen in the oral cavity that saliva is involved in
EVERYTHING
1) diseases of soft and calcified hard tissues
2) Interactions between oral cavity and restorative procedures + materials AND prostheses + prosthetic materials
3) role in surgical procedures and wound healing
4) Interactions with food and oral therapeutics
what is resting saliva
when salivary flow NOT being stimulated (by smells, eating, chewing, swallowing)
what does salivary volume differ between
males and females
what range is normal daily saliva secretion
0.5 - 1.5 litres
what is flow rate of unstimulated saliva per minute
0.3-0.4ml
what does flow rate of unstimulated saliva per minute change to during…
a) sleep
b) stimulating activities (smells, eating, chewing, swallowing)
a) 0.1ml
b) 4ml (0-5)
list the 3 major salivary gland pairs, their makeup and what %s they contribute
parotid = serous, 20% of resting, 50-60% stimulated
submandibular = seromucin, 65% resting
sublingual = mucous, 5-7% resting
where do the minor salivary glands exist and what %s do they contribute
in hundreds in the soft palate, buccal + labial mucosa and all over oral cavity
8-10% of resting
what is gingival crevicular fluid exudate (GCF)
- comes from major and minor glands
- secreted into + contributes to composition of saliva
- collects in gingival crevice and pockets
what do relative contributions from salivary glands vary with
1) time of day
2) age
3) health status
4) medication
5) flow rate (circadian rythm; stimulus’ nature)
what is the result of chemical stimulation on the contribution from different salivary glands when compared to resting
parotid = 20% resting, increases to 50-60% after stimulation
submandibular = 65% at BOTH resting and after chemical stimulation
sublingual = lowest contribution, resting contribution more than stimulated
what is the result of sialogogues (drugs promoting saliva secretion) on salivary flow rate using
a) NaCl
b) Sucrose
sucrose (0.9ml at 1 mole) stimulates salivary flow BUT less than NaCl (1.5ml at 1 mole)
what is the most potent stimulus of salivation
acid
ie citrus fruit / fruit juices
what does the circadian rhythm curve (24 hr period) tell us about salivary flow rates
- lowest during sleep
- highest at midday and late aft (6pm)
what are the 2 main categories of function of saliva, explain these
1) mechanical
- lubrication (of mucosa, food bolus during swallowing, of oral cavity for speech)
- dissolve food (helps it reach tastebuds for taste and wash it away for new taste)
2) chemical
- protective buffering (remin so anti-carious, due to Ca^2+ , [PO ₄]³⁻ and HCO3^-)
- antimicrobial
- protection + repair (due to growth factors and salivary proteins)
which antimicrobials are contained in saliva
1) lysozyme
2) immunoglobulins
3) lactoferrin
4) complement factors
(also self-defence peptides + salivary proteins)
how is saliva able to protect hard tissues
- buffer content
- HCO3^- = maintains salivary pH
- F- = replace Ca2+ in HAP (strengthens teeth)
- pellicle proteins = 2 types of pellicle
1) mucosal - protects mucosa
2) acquired enamel - protects hard tissue (teeth) - pH rising factors (sialin)
- Ca^2+ + [PO ₄]³⁻ = maintain mineral content of teeth
- antibacterial factors
how is saliva able to protect soft tissues
- growth factors = help it heal in ulcer / injuries
- lactoperoxidase = antibacterial role
what are the 7 protective functions of saliva
1) airway maintenance
2) speech
3) eating, swallowing, mastication
4) control of bacteria, fungi
5) digestion / GIT
6) protection / repair of oral mucosa
7) protection / repair of dentition
what is the protective mechanism for airway maintenance
- antibacterials
- water retaining glycoproteins - play an agglutination role (stick to bacteria, aggluting them, prevents them attaching to tissues of oral mucosa and airway of mouth) also maintain moisture of oral mucosa and airways
what clinical problems occur in airway maintenance because of lack of saliva
- increased air-borne microorganisms in airway
- dehydration
what is the protective mechanism for speech
lubrication
what clinical problems occur due in speech because of lack of saliva
- dehydration
- difficulty of speech
what is the protective mechanism for eating, swallowing, mastication
(aids in this function because of 2 effects)
1) antibacterials
2) lubrication
what clinical problems occur due in eating, swallowing, mastication because of lack of saliva
- food-borne microorganisms
- abrasion of oral mucosa and ulceration (by debris or large food)
- due to lack of lubrication of food + lack of formation of food bolus
what is the protective mechanism for control of bacteria, fungi (the antimicrobial effect)
- antibacterials
- immunoglobulins (esp IgA)
- lactoferrin
- histidine
- lysozyme (bactericidal - degrades bacterial cell wall by piercing it)
what is the role of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in control of bacteria, fungi
antiviral, antibacterial, attaches with glycoproteins and when secreted helps agglutination of bacteria to inhibit it attaching to mucosa or tooth surface
then the bacteria is swallowed and killed by gastric acid
what is the role of lactoferrin in control of bacteria, fungi
- enzyme containing iron
- needs iron for its function
- takes on all iron in environment
- bacteriocidal effect
- bacteria need iron to grow (prevents growth + multiplication of facultative + aerobic bacteria depriving them of the iron needed for O2 transport)
what is the role of histidine in control of bacteria, fungi
- salivay protein
- a self defense peptide = potent antimicrobial effects
- exist in saliva and other bodily fluids
- ie deficins, histatin 1,3,5 and stetherin
- histatin 3 = antifungal and antiopportunistic infection
what clinical problems occur due in control of bacteria, fungi because of lack of saliva
- infection rate increased
- maintenance of commensals affected
what is the protective mechanism for digestion/GIT
- amylase = starts carbohydrate digestion in mouth but minimal effect, stops once reaches stomach (acidic)
- specific antibacterial effect
what clinical problems occur due in digestion/GIT because of lack of saliva
NONE
- digestion not affected
- mouth only accounts for 17% of carb digestion
- rest = small intestine
what is the protective mechanism for protection / repair of oral mucosa
- mucin film (mucosal pellicle) = covers oral mucosa, helps lubrication + inhibition of microbial attachment to it. made up of salivary proteins (mustin, histitin, statherin)
- growth factors
1) epidermal growth factor EGF = repairs epithelial tissues and starts their regeneration = prevents + heals apthous ulcers + wounds
2) vascular growth factor = repair mucosa after ulceration / abrasion and protective effect against toxins, carcinogens etc
what clinical problems occur due in protection / repair of oral mucosa because of lack of saliva
- toxins, carcinogenesis
- cause tissue damage and non-healing ulcers
what is the protective mechanism for protection / repair of dentition
- Ca^2+, [PO ₄]³⁻ = maintain mineralised tooth tissue
- HCO3^- = raises acidic ph, maintains pH thus remineralisation
- pellicle protein (histatin 3 and stetherin)
- F- = replaces Ca2+ in HAP if enters tooth surface, calcium hydroxide becomes fluoride hydroxide (stronger mineral formation + crystals) so anticarious