Ultrastructural investigation on the effect of drug induced ovarian inhibition and hormone replacement therapy on the submandibular salivary gland of adult female albino rats

Abstract EN

Background : Ovarian inhibition and hormone replacement therapy has been widely used as a medical approach for the last few decades.

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of premenopausal drug induced ovarian inhibition using triptorelin and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (Single : using estrogen and combined : using estrogen and progesterone) on the microscopic and submicroscopic structure of the submandibular salivary glands of the female albino rats.

Materials and methods : Forty adult female albino rats were divided into 4 equal groups, group I : controls, group II : received a daily intraperitoneal injection of triptorelin for induction of ovarian suppression, group III : received the same treatment as those of group II, then, they received daily subcutaneous injection of estradiol benzoate as a single HRT, group IV : received the same treatment as those of group II then, they received estradiol benzoate in the same dose and route of administration as group III coupled with daily subcutaneous injection of progesterone as combined HRT.

Results : Results revealed that tissue of submandibular salivary gland of animals treated with triptorelin showed variable degrees of degenerative changes.

The histological examination of the submandibular salivary gland of animals treated with single hormone replacement therapy revealed a significant improvement in the condition of their structural elements with hyperplasia of submandibular salivary gland duct cells while those treated with combined hormone replacement therapy showed improvement in their structural elements of the gland with focal area of ductal hyperplasia.