L5 Dear students

Types, functions & regulation

of salivary secretion

Prof. Hala Maklad

&
Professor of physiology
Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University

Transfer Goal Students’ learning outcomes

• At the end of this session, the student will be able to:
• The aim of this lecture is to identify the function & regulation
1. Differentiate type of salivary secretions
of salivary secretion
2. Relate salivary secretion to the different glands
3. Discuss mechanism of salivary formation and secretion
4. Correlate between sympathetic and parasympathetic salivary secretion
5. Identify different composition of saliva
6. Relate composition and functions of salivary secretion
7. Identify the control mechanisms of salivary secretion
8. Tabulate the difference between conditioned and unconditioned reflex
control
 Salivary glands
Salivary glands
Salivary glands are exocrine glands, with ducts opening into the oral cavity.

Saliva is secreted by 3 major pairs of salivary glands:

Sublingual
Parotid
glands
glands Submandibular Other
glands minor
glands
(5%)
5%
20 %
70%

Salivary glands Types of salivary glands

Serous Mixed
Mucus

Parotid Serous cells Mucus cells Mucus& serous cells

25 %

Submandibular Thin watery saliva Thick & viscid saliva

70 %
Sublingual
Rich in α amylase (ptyalin) Rich in mucin
5% & poor in mucus

Parotid gland Sublingual gland Submandibular gland

 Saliva in the mouth
Composition of saliva is a mixture of
Gland Type of secretion % of total secretions from all
secretion the glands present.
Less than 1% Solids Water Mixed
Parotid Serous 25 saliva
Organic Inorganic
substances substances
Submandibular Mixed 70

Sublingual mucous 5

Organic Inorganic
substances substances
➢ Mucin
▪ Protein : ➢ R proteins (bind cobalamine) Na+ K+ Ca++ Mg++ PO4- HCO3-
➢ Albumin& globulin (immunoglobulin IgA, IgG,IgM)
➢ lactoferrin
➢ Epidermal growth factor ➢ NaCl, KCl
➢ H2CO3, NaHCO3 , NaH2PO4 & Na2HPO4
➢ Calcium salts as calcium bicarbonate & phosphate.
➢ α amylase (ptyalin) ➢ Potassium thiocyanate.
▪ Enzymes : ➢ Carbonic anhydrase
➢ maltase
➢ lysozymes
➢ Sialoperoxidase
 Mechanism of salivary secretion
Properties of saliva

It is a colourless, viscous fluid & hypotonic relative to the plasma. Salivary secretory unit (salivon)

Basal rate of secretion is 0.5 mL/min that is just enough to keep

Volume:
the mouth moist (1000-1500 ml/day) Acini Duct
PH: 6.2-8

Primary saliva Secondary saliva

Osmolality : Hypotonic to plasma
Filtrate of plasma Modification of 1ry secretion

Specific gravity: 1002-1012 + components synthesized by the acinar cells

(as α -amylase and mucins)

Innervation of salivary
glands
Na+- K+ exchange (aldosterone)
Parasympathetic
(Main effect)

Why?
More Na is extracted than K
Isotonic fluid Hypotonic fluid
➢ The composition & tonicity of saliva changes with rate of flow Why?
➢ At fast flow rates there is less time for the exchange processes occurring in Sympathetic
the ducts to modify the composition (Minor effect)
➢ Thus at high flow rates the composition approaches that of the primary juice.
 Innervation of salivary Functions of salivary
glands glands

Parasympathetic Sympathetic
Lubrication Mucin
(Main effect) (Minor effect)
-Profuse secretion of
Small amounts of viscid facilitates chewing and swallowing of food.
watery saliva rich in
saliva rich in organic
electrolytes
constituents (enzymes,
mucin) Digestion α amylase
-vasodilatation: Blood
flow increases up to 10
- Marked vasoconstriction: Digestion of starch (75 % is completed by salivary amylase)
times during activity
reduction of the blood flow.

Protective Protective
function function

4)-Bacteriostatic effect: it contains an antimicrobial substance as:

1)-large volume of saliva : rinse oral cavity &washes it of food residues
& shed epithelial cells which prevents putrefaction ▪ Thiocyanate
▪ Sialoperoxidase
2)- Mucin coats the mouth, thereby protecting it against abrasion by sharp ▪ lysozyme
pieces of food.
5)-Protein antibodies: can destroy the bacteria in the oral cavity.
3)-Alkaline pH:
6)-Protects against irritating substances and neutralizes excessively cold
▪ buffers acids present in the food Xteeth enamel
Erosion of or hot food.

▪ The copious secretion of saliva prior to vomiting protects

the mouth from gastric acid in the vomit
 Control of Dryness of the buccal and pharyngeal mucosa Speech
water balance initiates the sensation of thirst.
▪ Moistening of the oral cavity with soft palate, tongue and lips.
▪ Speech can be difficult in xerostomia
Buffering HCO3-,phosphates
action &Mucin Healing Epidermal growth
effects factor
to protect the buccal cavity from excessive acids or alkalis.
Excessive alkalis precipitation of calcium salts around the teeth
calcium salts + organic matter hard concretions (tartar)
bacteria flourish underneath the tartar chronic inflammation of the gums.
Excessive acids dissolves enamel & dentine of teeth after prolonged
exposure.

Control of salivary secretion Control of salivary secretion

Hormonal regulation
Nervous regulation
Nervous regulation
• It is too slow to meet with
salivary function (rapid
• It is the main regulator of
response).
salivary secretion
Hormonal regulation • It plays a role only in
•It is achieved by:
modification of salivary
- Conditioned reflexes
contents.
- Unconditioned reflexes
(action of aldosterone)
 1- Unconditioned reflexes 1- Unconditioned reflexes

Stimulus: Presence of food in mouth

These are inborn reflexes receptors: Taste and pressure receptors in mouth

Afferent : From the anterior two thirds of the tongue chorda tympani branch
They do not depend on training of the facial nerve.
From the posterior third of the tongue& pharynx glossopharyngeal
Center : Superior & inferior salivary nuclei
submandibular ganglion Submandibular
Facial nerve
Efferent : Sublingual glands

Effector organ : glossopharyngeal nerve Parotid gland

Otic ganglion
Response : Salivary secretion

2- Conditioned reflexes 2- Conditioned reflexes

Stimulation of any sensory nerve endings (optic, auditory, & olfactory nerves)
• These are acquired reflexes. in absence of food from the buccal cavity can be converted by training

•They depend on training. into conditioned stimuli for salivation.

 2- Conditioned reflexes

Pavlov Stimulus: Sight ,smell of food & sound

experiment receptors: in the relevant sense organ, e.g. in eye, nose, ..

Afferent : Afferent of sense organs e.g. Optic nerve, olfactory nerve,...

hearing the bell is
associated in the Center : Cerebral cortex Salivary centers
cerebral cortex with
food intake Efferent : Facial & glossopharyngeal nerve

Effector organ : Salivary glands

Response : Salivary secretion

 Difference between coditioned &
unconditioned reflex
Unconditioned Conditioned
Stimulus Food in mouth Sight , smell, hearing
Receptors Taste & pressure In related sense organ
Afferent Facial & glossopharyngeal Optic, olfactory &
nerve auditory nerve
Center Salivary center CC salivary center
Efferent Facial & glossopharyngeal nerves
Effector organ Salivary glands
response Increased salivary secretion

Summary or take-home message ▪ Salivary secretion includes 2 stages:

➢ 1ry secretion which is filtrate of plasma & isotonic

▪ Saliva is secreted by 3 major pairs of different salivary glands:
➢ Parotid: serous secretion 25%
➢ Submandibular gland: mixed secretion 70%
➢ Sublingual gland : mucous secretion 5 %
➢ 2ry secretion which is modified 1ry saliva and is hypotonic
▪ Salivary glands are supplied by parasympathetic fibers through facial
and glossopharyngeal nerve

▪ Saliva is composed of water (99.5 %) and solids (0.5%) ▪ Parasympathetic stimulation lead to profuse, watery saliva, rich in electrolytes

▪ Solids are formed of organic substances as protein & enzymes and ▪ Sympathetic stimulation lead to small amount, viscid saliva , rich in
inorganic substances as Na+, Cl-, K+, HCO3- & PO4- organic matter
 ▪ Saliva has many functions :

➢ Lubrication
➢ Digestion
➢ Protective function
➢ Control of water balance
➢ Neutralizing function
➢ Facilitation of speech • Lecture notes
➢ Healing effect
• Portal resources.......
▪ Salivary secretion is regulated mainly by nervous mechanism through:

➢ Conditioned reflex
➢ Unconditioned reflex