CONCENTRATION GRADIENTS FOR INORGANIC I131 AND CHLORIDE IN MIXED HUMAN SALIVA 1

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Abstract
In 35 human subjects, salivary concn. gradients for I131 were correlated with thy-roidal activity and with simultaneous measurements of gradients for chloride. Mixed saliva was collected following standardized stimulation with paraffin; reproducibility of the technique was assessed by serial observations at intervals varying from min. to wks. Infusion techniques failed to reveal any significant "lag phase" between cellular penetration and salivary elaboration of I131. Saliva/serum gradients (S/P ratios) were therefore derived by concurrent estimates of plasma and salivary concns. of chloride and I131. S/P I131 averaged 16.8 [plus or minus] 0.98; S/P chloride averaged 0.210 [plus or minus] .017. Osmotic performance did not differ among euthyroid and hyperthyroid individuals. Three subjects with profound hypometabolism, showed diminished capacity to concentrate iodide and to withhold chloride. Admn. of thiocyanate produced a 60 to 80% reduction in S/P I131 within 2 to 6 min., without systematic alterations in salivary flow or chloride. Curvilinear reciprocity between S/P ratios for iodide and chloride could be demonstrated. The evidence is inadequate to assess whether this represented interaction of anionic transport mechanisms or merely an inverse dependency upon flow.