AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF IRRADIATION ON THE BUCCAL MUCOSA OF RAT

방사선조사가 백서 협점막에 미치는 영향에 관한 전자현미경적 연구

The author studied the acute reaction of cobalt-60 irradiation to buccal mucosa in rats and difference of the effects of single versus fractionated exposure. 195 Sprague Dowley strain rats, weighing about 120gm, were used in this experiment. 3 rats served as controls and the remaining 192 rats were divided into six groups of 32 rats each. Experimental group Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ were received a single dose of 15Gy, 16.5Gy, 18Gy and group Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ were received two equal sized fractionated dose of 9Gy, 9.75Gy, 10.5Gy at 4 hour intervals, respectively. The experimental groups were irradiated with cobalt-60 teletherapy unit, Picker model 4M 60 (Field size, 12x5 cm, SSD, 50㎝, Dose rate, 222cGy/min, Depth, 1㎝). The animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 hours, 1, 3, 7 days after irradiation and the changes of the irradiated buccal mucosa were observed by electron and light microscopy. The results were as follows: 1. A single exposure was more damaging than fractionated exposure, and as the radiation dose increased, the changes of cell organelles became faster, but the healing of radiation-induced damage in fractionated exposure was faster than in single exposure. 2. The radiation-induced changes of the basal cells were the most prominent in 18Gy-single exposure group, and the least in 18Gy-fractionated exposure group. 3. Electron-microscopically, there appeared nuclear changes, swelling of mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum, decrease of free ribosome, presence of vesicles, widening of intercellular space, and loss of basal lamina. The early remarkable changes were partly loss of nuclear membrane and swelling of mitochondria. 4. Light-microscopically, derangement and pyknosis of basal cells, hydropic changes of spinous cells, enlargement of granular cells, indistinctness of basement membrane, and proliferation of epithelium were observed.