AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY ON THE COBALT-60 IRRADIATION EFFECTS ON THE SALIVARY GLAND OF THE WHITE RAT

Cobalt-60 방사선조사가 백서의 타액선에 미치는 영향에 관한 전자현미경적 연구

This study was undertaken to observe the histopathologic changes in salivary gland of the white rats when exposed to megavoltage fractionated dose of cobalt-60 irradiation and 78 female white rats, weighing approximately 180gm, were divided into control and 3 experimental groups. Irradiation on experimental groups was delivered by using 6000 curies MeV ALCYON cobalt-60 teletherapy unit with exposure rate 183 rads per minute, in source skin distance 80cm, 600 rads every 3 days. In experimental groups, Group Ⅰwas irradiated of total dose 1200 rads for a period of 6 days, Group Ⅱ was irradiated of total dose 2400 rads for a period of 12 days and Group Ⅲ was irradiated of total dose of 4800 rads for a period of 24 days. The animals were sacrificed serially at 3 hours, 6 hours, 10 hours, 1st day, 4th day, 7th day after each completion of irradiation exposure. At sacrifice, salivary glands were excised and examined microscopically and electromicroscopically. The results were as follows: 1. The acinar cells of parotid and submaxillary gland showed damage varied with dose, 1200 rads resulted in very mild injury while 4800 rads caused most extensive injury. 2. The acinar cells of parotid and submandibular gland showed similar ultrastructural alterations, appeared as pleomorphic nucleus, decreased numbers and pleomorphism of secretory granules, distention of rough endplasmic reticulum, expansion and pallor appearance of mitochondria, and hypertrophy of Golgi complex. 3. Parotid serous cells were the most sensitive components, displaying morphological alterations of radiation damage as early as 3 hours, followed by submandibular seromucinous cells and secretory tubular cells. 4. The mucous cells of sublingual gland, as well as the whole ductal lining cells of each salivary gland, displayed no significant alterations. No evidence of microvascular injury through whole experimental groups indicated that microvascular impairment does not contribute to early salivary gland injury.