Background: In the last 3 years, hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment has undergone significant changes. Sofosbuvir is a new drug; it is a nucleotide analogue that is a highly potent inhibitor of the nonstructural protein 5B (NS5B) polymerase in HCV.
Methodology: 30 adult male albino rats weighing about ±200 gm were used. The rats were divided into three groups 10 rats each. Group I(control group) received distilled water. Group II received sofosbuvir 40 mg/kg/day dissolved in distilled water for 45 days. Group III received sofosbuvir 40 mg/kg/day dissolved in distilled water for 90 days. All animals were sacrificed by ketamine overdose. The submandibular salivary glands were dissected. Specimens were examined histologically, immunohistochemically using anti- nuclear factor κ B antibody, histomorphomotry and statistically.
Results: Group I showed normal histological structure for the ducts and acini however,
group II showed acinar and ductal vacuolization, discontinuity of the epithelial lining with retained secretion in the excretory duct, and chronic inflammatory cell infiltration. These changes were accentuated in group III accompanied by acinar and ductal shrinkage. Immunohistochemical results of group І showed negative immunoreactivity for NF-κB in nuclei of the acini and ducts with very weak cytoplasmic reaction. However group II showed moderate nuclear and cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for NF-κB in the acinar and ductal cells. Regarding group III, the ductal and acinar cells exhibited strong immunoreaction in their nuclei and cytoplasm. Statistical results proved that the difference in the mean values were statistically highly significant between groups II & I, groups III & I and groups II & III.
Conclusion: We concluded that sofosbuvir may affect the function of submandibular salivary gland through increased ROS levels in acinar and ductal cells leading to degenerative effect.