Endocrinol. Jap., Vol.1, No.1(1954). BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON SALIVARY GLAND HORMONE

In order to prove the validity of the'salivary gland endocrine theory' proposed by Dr. T. Ogata(Tokyo University)la), the author and his collaborators have engaged in this study for approximately 15 years. In 1944, the author and his associates succeeded in isolating a crude protein from the bovine parotid gland which remarkably promoted the calcification of teeth and reduced the calcium level in serum. This protein was named'parotin'by Drs. T. Ogata, A. Ogata, and the author1b). Later in 1949, this crude parotin was purified to be electrophoretically homogeneous2). Since 1951, studies have been made by the consolidated research group, organized on the Grant in aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education from various angles to determine if this protein is the salivary gland hormone itself3). So far, it has been proved morphologically and biochemically by many scholars that this parotin possesses specific action of promoting the growth of hard tissues, such as teeth and bones. This action is, according to the salivary gland endocrine theory, the main action of the hormone. It has also been found that parotin, when it is given to normal animals, causes experimental hypersialadenism(symptoms due to hyperfunction of the salivary glands). When it is given to animals which show asialadenism(symptoms due to salivary glands ectomization), it compensates the defficiency symptoms in both hard tissue and in many functions of the parotid gland hormone which have been discovered recently. This paper is a general review of the study of parotin made by the research