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 α‐calcitonin gene‐related peptide immunoreactive substance (α‐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 α‐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 α‐CGRP‐IS (r = 0.97) concentrations was found. These results demonstrated that chronic treatment with anethole trithione affected saliva SP‐IS and α‐CGRP‐IS concentration in human saliva and sialosis volume.