The most pronounced salivary dysfunction occurs in patients taking medications that interfere with salivary secretory processes and those who have received therapeutic irradiation. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of gamma radiation and prednisolone treatment on submandibular salivary glands. Forty eight female Albino rats were
divided into four groups. Group C serves as control; group P was treated with Depo-Medrol; group R was exposed to whole body gamma radiation and group PR is similar to the previous one in addition, it has received Depo-Medrol. The submandibular glands were obtained three and seven days post-irradiation. Gamma-irradiation induced vacuolization of all gland compartments, acinar atrophy and degeneration of striated ducts and granular convoluted tubules. In group P, the acini lost their outline with shrinkage of some acini. The striated ducts represented variable degree of degeneration, lumen narrowing. Nuclear fragmentation was detected in duct and granular convoluted tubule cells. All previously mentioned manifestations were detected in an exaggerated manner in group PR. Thetotal glutathione content and glutathione-peroxidase activity significantly decreased in all experimental groups. Activity of superoxide dismutase significantly decreased in R group, while it was not affected in P and PR groups. Total protein content significantly decreased in R group in contrast to P group, where a significant increase was observed. In PR group, it was not affected at day 3, but it significantly decreased at day 7. In conclusion, either gamma radiation orprednisolone induced submandibular salivary gland oxidative stress; however, their combined use ameliorated, to some extent, gamma radiation induced oxidative damage.