Effect of Aspartame on Submandibular Salivary Glands of Adult Male Albino Rats

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of administration of aspartame in two doses (40mg/kg and 80mg/kg body weight) on the submandibular salivary glands of male albino rats. Ninety adult male rats weighing (200-250g) were used in this study. Animals in each group were caged in separate cages in the animal house at the Faculty of Dentistry, Minia University. Pure aspartame (APM) powder was purchased from ADWIA Co., Cairo, Egypt, The animals were divided into 3 groups: Group I: composed of 30 rats. They were daily administrated distilled water by means of gastric tube and considered control group. Group II: composed of 30 rats. They were daily administrated APM (40mg/kg) dissolved in distilled water for, 2, 4, and 6 months by means of gastric tube, and considered as experimental group 1. Group III: composed of 30 rats that were daily administrated APM (80mg/kg) dissolved in distilled water for 2, 4, and 6 months and considered as experimental group 2.Ten animals from each group were sacrificed after 2, 4 and 6 months under chloral hydrate anesthesia. Portions from the submandibular salivary gland were prepared histologically and stained with Haematoxylin & Eosin. The histological examination of submandibular salivary gland sections of rats after 2 months received low and high doses of aspartame revealed some histological changes in the gland parenchyma. Some serous acini appeared distended and most of them tended to be spaced with vacuolated cytoplasm and ill-defined cell boundaries. Nuclei were pushed toward basal portion and showed signs of hyperchromatism. Some acini presented division of nucleus without division of cytoplasm. Most blood capillaries appeared to be engorged with collected red blood corpuscles. In addition striated ducts appeared dilated while granular ducts showed stagnant eosinophilic secretion. Histological examination of the submandibular gland after 4 months revealed obvious morphological changes. The parenchyma of the submandibular gland lost its normal acinar architecture. Some acinar cells presented granular cytoplasm while others exhibited empty vacuoles. Signs of premalignancy such as nuclear hyperchromatism, pleomorphism and abnormal mitosis were evident. Submandibular gland sections after 6 months revealed that the granular convoluted tubules became the most prominent feature of the gland on the expense of the serous acini. The submandibular glands presented atrophic changes. The serous acini in submandibular gland were atrophied. [Mohammed S. S., El-Sakhawy M. A., Sherif, H and Shredah, M. Effect of Aspartame on Submandibular Salivary Glands of Adult Male Albino Rats. Life Sci J 2015;12(3):44-50]. (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 7