Structural studies of human saliva

Abstract

Samples of mixed saliva and of parotid and sublingual/submandibular saliva fractions from four donors were subjected to instantaneous solidification in liquid nitrogen followed by sectioning in a microtome/cryostat. The sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, Alcian blue, Oil-red-O, or Sudan Black B and then examined at the light-microscopic level. In all the sectioned samples several previously never described features were observed, the most pronounced of which were a loose overall network structure and collections of lipoid droplets often in a loose arrangement. In the mixed saliva sample sections many of the microorganism-like structures were observed in large bunches associated with epithelial cells and densely staining saliva components. The present method was tested in a series of experiments for possible errors.

Food colloids under oral conditions

“…Different authors described the presence of globular structures lying within a network structure [29][30][31]. These globular structures, so-called salivary micelles, have been identified in both PAR and whole saliva [32].…”

Surface and colloid chemical aspects of saliva particle interactions

“…The methods used in this study have already been shown to be valid and accurate by recent morphologic examinations of sections of frozen mixed saliva (Glantz et al, 1989a(Glantz et al, ,b,c, 1991. Again the results of this study showed the method to be useful and to provide material for evaluation of internal salivary structures.…”

On saliva structures

“…Glantz et al (1988Glantz et al ( , 1989a recently demonstrated the preservation of intrinsic saliva structures by instantaneous immersion of saliva samples into flasks of liquid nitrogen (-185-8°C). After flash freezing and retrieval from the nitrogen, solid pieces of saliva are handled in the same way as any other frozen piece of tissue, i.e.…”