Salivary Secretion in the Rat in a Hot Environment

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Conscious rats were found to secrete saliva from the submaxillary gland when exposed to heat. In rats with sympathetically denervated glands the secretory rate was a little lower and in parasympathetically denervated glands the secretion was almost abolished. The salivary flow appeared to increase with increasing ambient temperature and the secretion started earlier at higher temperatures. The secretion elicited by heat stress was compared to the secretion evoked by electrical stimulation of the parasympathetic nerve to the gland. It is concluded that the salivary secretion evoked by heat stress is mainly mediated by the parasympathetic secretory nerves, although the sympathetic fibres also take part.

This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit: