Histopathological changes in parotid gland following submandibular gland failure: an experimental animal study

Abstract

Introduction: Submandibular glands are exposed to many effects due to diseases and therapeutic interventions. A study evaluating the effect of submandibular gland dysfunction on the parotid gland has not been presented in the literature. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the histopathological changes in the parotid gland following submandibular gland failure. Methods: Three groups of seven randomly selected female New Zealand rabbits weighing 2500–3000 g were studied. Unilateral and bilateral submandibular glands were removed in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. No procedure was performed in Group III, the control group. The parotid glands were removed 30 days later. Histological parameters were evaluated and graded between 0 (none) and 3 (severe). Differences between groups were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. Results: Mean mucus accumulation in acinar cells was 2.57 ± 0.53 and 1.71 ± 0.75 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p 0.05). This value was 0.28 ± 0.48 in Group 3, which was significantly lower than in Groups 1 and 2 (p 0,05). Esse valor foi de 0,28 ± 0,48 no Grupo 3, significativamente menor do que nos Grupos 1 e 2 (p < 0,05). O acúmulo médio de muco no lúmen dos dutos intercalados foi 2,00 ± 0,81 e 1,00 ± 0,57 nos Grupos 2 e 3, respectivamente (p < 0,05). Conclusão: Os achados deste estudo indicam que apenas um mês após a insuficiência da glândula submandibular, as glândulas parótidas apresentam alterações significativas. Keywords: Submandibular, Parotid, Submandibular gland failure, Histopathology, Palavras-chave: Submandibular, Parótida, Insuficiência da glândula submandibular, Histopatologia