Introduction: Obesity is an epidemic health problem leads to adverse effects on different body organs especially salivary glands. Gomisin A is a diben‌zocyclooctadiene lignan derived from Schisandra Chinensis fruits. It possesses anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity actions. Aim of the Work: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of high fat diet on the rat submandibular salivary glands with the possible protection by gomisin A, using histological, immunohistochemical and scanning electron microscopic study.
Materials and Methods: For 6 weeks' duration, 50 adult male albino rats (150-200 gm) were used divided into 5 groups (10 rats each); Group 1: Control; Group 2: High fat diet (HFD): rats received high fat diet; Group 3: High fat diet (HFD)+ dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO): rats received DMSO 1 hr. before HFD; Group 4: High fat diet (HFD) + Gomisin A low dose (GLD): rats received gomisin A in a low Dose 5 mg/kg/day 1 hr. before HFD; and Group 5: high fat diet (HFD) + Gomicin A high dose (GHD): rats received a high dose of gomisin A (20 mg/kg/day) 1 hr. before HFD, doses taken orally by intragastric tube.
Results: High fat diet group showed significantly increased gland weight. H&E sections showed disturbed architecture, congested blood vessels, inflammatory cellular infiltrations, acinar cells with cytoplasmic vacuoles, and darkly stained nuclei, beside vacuolated ducts. Also, significantly decreased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) reaction, significantly decreased beta cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) reaction, and duct cells with lost membranous expression for E-cadherin appeared. Additionally, the scanning electron microscope showed distended lobules while shrinkage of others, apparently increased acini with accumulated secretion in the secretory granules and apparently dilated ducts. These degenerative changes were attenuated by gomicin A at dose dependent manner.
Conclusion: High fat diet induced structural changes in the rat submandibular salivary glands, and gomisin A could protect against these changes.