BOTULINUM TOXIN DECREASES SALIVATION FROM CANINE SUBMANDIBULAR GLANDS

The objective of this study was to determine whether botulinum toxin t ypes A and D reduced the production of saliva from the submandibular g lands of 18 dogs. The left submandibular glands of 8 dogs were injecte d with increasing doses of botulinum type A toxin (range 10 to 70 unit s), and the left glands of 10 dogs were injected with botulinum type D toxin (50 or 100 units). The right gland of each dog was injected wit h equivalent volumes of saline solution to serve as control, Six days after the injection, the lingual nerve was electrically stimulated for 10 minutes (3 mAmp, 20 Hz), The resulting volume of saliva was collec ted and weighed, Overall, the glands injected with types A or D toxin produced significantly less saliva than comparable glands injected wit h saline solution, Six of 8 dogs injected with type A toxin showed a s ignificant decrease in saliva production (range 10.1% to 19.2%, one-si ded p value = 0.0375) when compared with the controls, Nine of 10 dogs injected with type D toxin demonstrated a highly significant reductio n in saliva production (total average decrease = 60%, two-sided p valu e = 0.001) when compared with the controls. We concluded that intragla ndular injections of botulinum toxin types A and D significantly reduc ed the production of saliva from canine submandibular glands, The pote ntial applications of intraglandular injections of botulinum toxin are discussed.