EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL CARIES III. THE EFFECT OF ESTRADIOL AND DIETHYLSTILBESTROL ON DENTAL CARIES, FLUORINE METABOLISM, AND THE SALIVARY GLANDS OF INTACT AND GONADECTOMIZED RATS

THE studies to be reported here are a portion of the series which has been designed in an attempt to determine how the endocrine organs and their various products affect experimental dental caries and to clarify the relation-ship of these organs to the salivary glands and fluoride metabolism. Consider-able evidence exists1 ` to warrant further investigation of this problem. Jun-queira, Rubinovitch, and Fajer4 have shown enzymatic differences in the sali-vary glands of male and female mice. Sreebny5 has shown enzymatic altera-tions as well as histologic changes in the submaxillary gland of the rat follow-ing hypophysectomy. Rathje6 has suggested that the action of fluorine in re-ducing dental caries may be by reduced sympathicotony of the salivary glands mediated through a competition of the thyroid gland for fluorine and iodine essential to its production of hormone, such that a larger quantity of more liquid saliva is produced, thereby increasing the resistance to dental caries. The studies reported from this laboratory have not been designed to meas-ure quantitatively such differences produced by gonadectomy, desalination