SODIUM DODECYL SULFATE-POLYACRYLAMIDE GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS OF HUMAN WHOLE SALIVA

The purpose of this study was to characterize the electrophoretic patt erns of human resting and stimulated whole saliva. Pooled and individu al, uncentrifuged, unprocessed whole saliva from 20 healthy, unmedicat ed individuals was run on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel e lectrophoresis and stained with Coomassie blue R-250. Similar and char acteristic patterns for whole saliva were observed for all samples, co nsisting of over 34 blue- and pink-violet-staining bands. Individual d ifferences were usually in the size (or density) of the bands, not in the number. Repeat sampling of stimulated whole saliva over a period o f weeks from the same individuals revealed a striking consistency of p rotein patterns, indicating a profound physiological stability of whol e saliva. These results provide baseline data for whole saliva and sug gest its use for future studies.