ABSTRACT:
Background: Duloxetine is an antidepressant drug utilized for treatment of anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. This study aimed to compare the potential protective effect of Rosmarinic acid (RA) as natural antioxidant with the potential therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells on treating the toxic effect of Duloxetine on the parotid gland. Material & methods: 60 male albino rats were classified into 4 groups, 15 rats in each group. The first group1 (control): control group receive no treatment., group 2 (Duloxetine): received 10 mg/kg/d duloxetine for 12 week, group3 (Duloxetine+RA): received Duloxetine the same as Group2 and received at the same time 120 mg/kg/d Rosmarinic acid for 12 week, group4 (Duloxetine+MSCs): received Duloxetine the same as Group2 then a single injection of MSCs just after stopping of Duloxetine , In all groups animals were sacrificed after 16 weeks following the beginning of the study. For histological evaluation, the parotid gland was stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and Mallory's trichrome stain was used for the demonstration of collagen fibers. Also, Transmission electron microscope and immunohistochemistry using caspas-3 were used to examine the parotid gland. Also the level of MDA and GSH-Px level in the parotid tissue were done. Results: Examination of parotid sections in Group2 revealed inflammatory cells infiltration and massive distortion and vacuolation of serous cells, however Group3 and Group4 showed marked improvement in the histological structure of the parotid gland. Conclusion: MSCs and RA have good effect in decreasing the toxic effect of Duloxetine administration on the parotid gland with insignificant difference between the two methods.