DELMOPINOL HYDROCHLORIDE-INDUCED AND CHLORHEXIDINE DIGLUCONATE-INDUCED PRECIPITATION OF SALIVARY PROTEINS OF DIFFERENT MOLECULAR-WEIGHTS

Gel electrophoresis was used to analyze precipitates formed of delmopi nol hydrochloride or chlorhexidine digluconate mixed with unstimulated whole saliva samples from five test subjects. Final concentrations of delmopinol (6.4 mM) or chlorhexidine (6.4 mM, 2.2 mM) mixed with whol e saliva were incubated for 10 min at 37 degrees C. The precipitates w ere pelleted by centrifugation and resuspended to a similar protein de nsity. The protein patterns in the pellets were analyzed by sodium dod ecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, using 12.5% gels. The amount of pellet protein was determined by densitometry in four molec ular weight ranges (10-21.5. 21.5-26. 26-45, and 45-300). The results indicated that high molecular weight (45-300) proteins dominated in th e precipitate and that 2.2mM chlorhexidine precipitated more salivary protein than 6.4 mM. At equimolar concentration (6.4 mM) delmopinol pr ecipitated more high molecular weight salivary proteins than chlorhexi dine.