ABSTRACT
This study was performed to examine basic neuropathological mechanisms of undetermined effects of olfactory bulb lesion in sublingual glands. Twenty-six adult rats were randomized in three groups as control group (Group I, n=8), Sham group (Group II, n=7) and olfactory bulb lesion (OBL) group (Group III, n=11), and they all observed for the duration of eight weeks and finally euthanized. The olfactory bulbs of rat brains and sublingual glands (SLG), were extracted bilaterally. Samplings stained with hematoxylin/eosin and TUNEL stains to assess the stereogical olfactory bulbs volume loss degrees, and follicular volume values (FVV) of SLG per cubic centimeters. The estimated mean volumes of olfactory bulbs were as 4.87±0.33/mm3
in group I, 4.32±0.43/mm3 in group II, and 2.12±0.19/mm3 in group III (p<0.0001 and p<0.0005; in Group III vs. I, Group III vs. II, respectively). The mean volumes of FVV and degenerated neuron density of SLG were 215±56×106μm3/cm3 and 13±3/mm3 in Group I, 193 ± 44×106μm3/cm3 and 62±11/mm3 in Group II (p<0.005), 134±27×106 μm3/cm3 and 346±83/mm3 in Group III (p<0.0001 and p<0.0005; in Group III vs. I, Group III vs. II, respectively). This study suggests that OBL may be responsible for sublingual gland degeneration, which has not been stated so far.