Choline Acetylase in Normal and Denervated Salivary Glands

Choline acetylase activity was demonstrated in the normally innervated salivary glands of the cat and rabbit. The submaxillary glands were found to have an activity about double that of the parotids, while the enzyme activity of rabbit glands was found to be more than three times that of the corresponding glands in the cat. Chronic preganglionic parasympathetic denervation of the submaxillary gland of the cat and rabbit reduced the concentration and total choline acetylase activity in each gland. The total activity per gland fell to almost half of that of the contralateral gland. Partial postganglionic denervation of the cat's submaxillary diminished the activity in the whole gland to about 15 per cent of the contralateral control gland. An even greater reduction of enzyme was produced in the parotid gland of the two species by postganglionic denervation but some measurable activity usually remained for several weeks after the operation.