Acetylcholine Inactivation and Acetylcholine Sensitivity in Denervated Salivary Glands

Summary. Acetylcholine destruction was studied in the normal and the denervated parotid and submaxillary gland of cat. The parotid gland was pre‐ and postganglionically, the submaxillary gland preganglionically denervated. In the same cats the sensitization to acetylcholine brought about by the denervations was studied. The preganglionic denervations were found to cause a decrease by 30 per cent in the total amount of enzyme in the glands. The postganglionic denervation caused a decrease in total amount by about 60 per cent. The possible rôle of these reductions in enzyme activity for the mechanism of the sensitization to acetylcholine is discussed.