• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.229-250
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• 1993

This study was performed to investigate the morphological and structural changes of bone tissues and the effects of irradiation on the mandibular bodies of rats which were fed low calcium diets. In order to carry out this experiment, 160 seven-week old Sprague-Dawley strain rats weighing about 150 gm were selected and equally divided into one normal diet group of 80 rats and one low calcium diet group with the remainder. These groups were then subdivided into two groups, 40 were assigned rats for each subdivided group, exposed to radiation. The Group 1 was composed of forty non-irradiated rats with normal diet, Group 2 of forty irradiated rats with normal diet, Group 3 forty non-irradiated rats with low calcium diet, and Group 4 forty irradiated rats with low calcium diet. The two irradiation groups received a single dose of 20 Gy on the jaw area only and irradiated with a cobalt-50 teletherapy unit. The rats with normal and low calcium diet groups were serially terminated by ten on the 3rd, the 7th, the 14th, and the 21st day after irradiation. After termination, both sides of the dead rats mandible were removed and fixed with 10% neutral formalin. The bone density of mandibular body was measured by use of bone mineral densitometer(Model DPX -alpha, Lunar Corp., U.SA). Triga Mark ill nuclear reactor in Korea Atomic Research Institute was used for neutron activation and then calcium contents of mandibular body were measured by using a 4096 multichannel analyzer (EG and G ORTEC 919 MCA, U.SA). Also the mandibular body was radiographed with a soft X-ray apparatus(Hitex Co., Ltd., Japan). Thereafter, the obtained microradiograms were observed by a light microscope and were used for the morphometric analysis using a image analyzer(Leco 2001 System, Leco Co., Canada). The morphometric analysis was performed for parameters such as the total area, the bone area, the inner and outer perimeters of the bone. The obtained results were as follows: 1. In the morphometric analysis, total area and outer perimeter of the mandibular bodies of Group 3 were a little smaller than that of Group 1. The mean bone width and bone area were much smaller than that of Group 1 and the inner perimeter of Group 3 was much longer than that of Group 1. The total area and outer perimeter of Group 2 and Group 4 showed little difference. The mean bone width and bone area of Group 4 were smaller than that of Group 2 and the inner perimeter of Group 4 was longer than that of Group 2. 2. The remarkable decreases of the number and thickness of trabeculae and also the resorption of endosteal surface of cortical bone could be seen in the microradiogram of Group 3, Group 4 since the 3rd day of experiment. On the 21st day of experiment, the above findings could be more clearly seen in Group 4 than in Group 3. 3. The bone mineral density of Group 3 was lesser than that of Group 1 and the bone mineral density of Group 4 was lesser than that of Group 2 on the 7th, 14th, 21st days. The irradiation caused the bone mineral density to be decreased regardless of diet. In the case of Groups with low calcium diet, the bone mineral density was much decreased on the 21st day than on the 3rd day of experiment. 4. The calcium content in mandible of Group 3 was smaller than that of Group 1 throughout the experiment. roup 4 showed the least amount of calcium content. The irradiation caused the calcium content to be decreased regardless of diet. In the case of Groups with low calcium diet, the calcium content was much decreased on the 21st day than on the 3rd day of experiment. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that morphological changs and decrease of bone mass due to resorption of bone by low calcium diet, and that the resorption of bone could be found in the spongeous bone and endosteal surface of cortical bone. So the problem of resorption of bone must be considered when the old and the postmenopausal women are taken radiotherapy because the irradiation seems to be accelerated the resorption of osteoporotic bone.