Metabolism of I¹³¹ by the Chronically Salivariectomized Rat

¹ From the Division of Anatomy and the Crocker Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California

The effect of chronic salivariectomy on the metabolism of a tracer dose of I¹³¹ has been investigated. Chronically salivariectomized rats excreted the isotope into the urine more slowly than intact rats and retained more of the injected material in the tissues. No significant differences were detected between chronically salivariectomized and intact rats from the point of view of the thyroid I¹³¹ content, or of the amounts of the isotope excreted in the feces. The possible role of the salivary glands in the metabolism of iodine and of the thyroid hormone is briefly discussed in the light of these findings.

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