Enhancement of salivary secretion and neuropeptide (substance P, α-calcitonin gene-related peptide) levels in saliva by chronic anethole trithione treatment

Anethole trithione, a choleretic, has been reported to be effective in the treatment of dry mouth. We have examined the effects of chronic treatment with anethole trithione on salivary secretion, substance P immunoreactive substance (SP-IS) and alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactive substance (alpha-CGRP-IS) concentrations in human saliva. Anethole trithione caused significant increases of saliva SP-IS concentrations from the day 13 (25.3 +/- 1.6 pg mL(-1)) to day 14 (25.8 +/- 1.7 pg mL(-1)) compared with day 1 (19.9 +/- 1.9 pg mL(-1)). Anethole trithione caused significant increase in saliva alpha-CGRP-IS concentration on day 14 (39.9 +/- 4.7 pg mL(-1)) compared with day 1 (27.7 +/- 4.7 pg mL(-1)). Anethole trithione significantly increased the sialosis volumes from day 11 to day 14 (1.6 +/- 0.1-1.7 +/- 0.2 mL) compared with the day 1 (1.2 +/- 0.2 mL). Simple linear regression of the increase in sialosis volume with saliva SP-IS (r = 0.94) and alpha-CGRP-IS (r = 0.97) concentrations was found. These results demonstrated that chronic treatment with anethole trithione affected saliva SP-IS and alpha-CGRP-IS concentration in human saliva and sialosis volume.