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Abstract
1. Unstimulated whole saliva and parotid saliva stimulated at a constant flow rate
of 1.0 ml./min were collected from eight subjects at about 07.00, 11.00, 14.00, 17.00
and 22.00 hr and oral temperature was recorded several times daily for time spans
of between 4 and 26 days. A least-squares cosine wave was fitted to the data to test
for the presence and characteristics of circadian rhythms.2. Estimates of mean level,
amplitude, acrophase and period were obtained for different components and the results
were subjected to cosinor analysis.3. Unstimulated whole saliva showed significant
circadian rhythms in flow rate and in the concentrations of sodium and chloride but
not in protein, potassium, calcium, phosphate or urea.4. Stimulated parotid saliva
showed significant circadian rhythms in the concentrations of protein, sodium, potassium,
calcium and chloride but not in phosphate or urea5. Oral temperature showed a circadian
rhythm which, like the salivary rhythms, was of a 24.0 hr periodicity.