The influence of various factors on fluid secretion by in vitro salivary glands of ixodid Ticks

Abstract

1. Salivary glands of the female ixodid tick, Dermacentor andersoni, secrete fluid in vitro when bathed in a slightly modified version of the mammalian tissue culture medium ‘TC 199′. 2. Rate of salivation in vitro increases with progression of feeding, but there is no comparable increase in dry weight of the salivary glands during the early phase of engorgement. Engorged ticks secreted at only 25% the rate of 90–250 mg ticks, indicating that salivary gland degeneration has already begun in the very early post-engorgement stage. 3. A salivary gland stimulating factor can be detected in the nervous system but not in other tissues. 4. Male salivary glands secrete at only 1/20th the rate of female glands. Thus males probably do not use their salivary glands as osmoregulatory organs. 5. From the uniform lack of response to ACh and uniform response to DA in 7 ixodid tick species, it is suggested that the control of salivation is similar throughout the ixodid family.