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Finger-tip sweat-gland activity and saliva secretion as indices of anticholinergic drug effect

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Summary

A modification of Wada's finger-tip counting technic for determination of palmar sweat-gland activity is described. The active sweat-gland count of the finger tip was found to be highly reproducible under the conditions of gastric analysis. The modified sweat-gland test and Mushin's salivary-flow technic were used to study the effects of varying doses of two anticholinergic drugs during gastric analyses on 12 patients. Significant correlations were found between the initial value and the maximum drug response for both sweat- and salivary-gland tests. There also was a significant correlation between sweat- and salivary-gland activities in both the basal period and during maximum drug inhibition. The results of this study indicate that the sweat-gland test is an excellent procedure for evaluation of “side effects” of anticholinergic drugs during studies of gastric secretion. This test also is a sensitive method for determining onset of action, peak effect, and duration of action of anticholinergic drugs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Department of Medicine, University of Arkansas Medical Center, Little Rock, Ark.

    Kerrison Juniper Jr. M.D., Jerry R. Stewart M.S., George T. DeVaney M.D. & Thomas J. Smith M.D.

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  1. Kerrison Juniper Jr. M.D.
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  2. Jerry R. Stewart M.S.
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  3. George T. DeVaney M.D.
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  4. Thomas J. Smith M.D.
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Additional information

This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Training Grant 5314, and a grant from the A. H. Robins Co., Inc.

Dr. Frederick A. Clark, Jr., suggested use of the finger-tip sweat-gland technic during studies of gastric secretion. Technical assistance was supplied by Robert D. Hicks and Rosa E. Lloyd.

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Juniper, K., Stewart, J.R., DeVaney, G.T. et al. Finger-tip sweat-gland activity and saliva secretion as indices of anticholinergic drug effect. Digest Dis Sci 9, 31–42 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02232677

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