Cystic fibrosis-like changes in saliva of healthy persons subjected to anaerobic exercise.

The biochemical composition of saliva secreted by healthy persons and by heterozygotes and homozygotes of cystic fibrosis at rest and by healthy persons subjected to aerobic or anaerobic effort were compared. In the saliva from cystic fibrosis homozygotes at rest substantial increases of the activity of ribonuclease (p less than 0.001) and of the concentrations of protein (p less than 0.001), lactate (p less than 0.001), sodium (p less than 0.001), potassium (p less than 0.01) and calcium (p less than 0.05) were found in comparison with saliva from healthy persons at rest. In the saliva from cystic fibrosis heterozygotes at rest similar but less pronounced changes were seen. After anaerobic exercise these biochemical parameters were increased in the saliva of healthy persons and mimicked the values of cystic fibrosis saliva. However, after aerobic effort no changes other than a slightly increased ribonuclease activity were seen in the saliva of healthy persons. This indicates that salivary glands of cystic fibrosis patients, at rest, are in the same state of lactate acidosis and energy depletion as these glands are in healthy persons after anaerobic work.