Effect of Saliva from Cystic Fibrosis Patients and from Normal Subjects on Red Blood Cell Sodium Transport

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Abstract
Summary: Saliva, whether taken from patients with cystic fibrosis or from normal subjects, caused an increase in red blood cell Na+ efflux (in the presence or absence of ouabain) of 19–29% as compared with non-saliva controls. However, there was no significant difference between the effects of cystic fibrosis saliva and normal saliva. Speculation: Saliva, and possibly other body fluids as well, contain substances which influence Na+ transport across cell membranes, and which are, as yet, uncharacterized. Further investigation of such substances may be relevant to the transport abnormality of cystic fibrosis.