Background: Orlistat is an effective anti-obesity drug by reducing fat absorption. The oral cavity and its associated structures are target organs for many abnormalities that develop from orlistat. Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) is a valuable nutritional and health protective agent with prominent pharmacological properties.
Aim: Evaluation of the possible protective role of pumpkin seed oil in ameliorating tongue mucosal damage induced by orlistat in adult male albino rats.
Materials and Methods: Fifty adult male albino rats were used as a control group, an orlistat group and an orlistat-pumpkin group. Both orlistat (32mg/kg) and PSO (1.5ml/kg) were given orally once daily for four weeks. Specimens of the tongue were processed for light and scanning electron microscopic studies. Immunohistochemical study was performed using anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibodies.
Results: Specimens of the orlistat group showed an obvious distortion in the filiform and the fungiform papillae and in the covering epithelium of the tongue mucosa. There was a focal loss of the papillae and the epithelial ridges. The epithelial cells showed vacuolated cytoplasm and nuclear alteration. The lamina propria contained congested blood vessels and severe inflammatory cellular infiltration. There was a statistically significant decrease in the epithelial thickness, papillae height, papillae width and in the PCNA-immunoreaction of the epithelium. Scanning electron microscopy showed disfigurement and a focal atrophy of the filiform and the fungiform papillae. In contrast, minimal changes appeared in orlistat-pumpkin group that received PSO before orlistat.
Conclusion: Orlistat induced significant structural alterations in the tongue mucosa of albino rats. PSO attenuated these effects and preserved the structure of the tongue mucosa.