Developments of immunology and immunohistochemistry have shown that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) is contained in a wide variety of cells including the peripheral nerve innvervating the salivary gland of cat, rat and man. Physiological studies of VIP in the salivary gland have been mainly focused on either its action to induce fluid and electrolyte secretion in the submandibullar gland or its potent action as a vasodilatation. In general, in the salivary gland, VIP potentiates

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... oline-induced salivation but induces per se little, if any, salivation. The present study provides evidence that VIP acts on the parotid lobules of the rat to induce amylase release. This effect of VIP was not inhibited by pretreatment with atropine, or-or />'-blocker, and Ca removal from the extracellular environment. A dose-response relation was obtained for the VIP-induced amylase release. EDS, was calculated to be 3.6><10""9M, which was much smaller than that of adrenaline or of carbachol. This favors the view that VIP could be a transmitter candidate.