Abstract

FLETE ESTRADA, A.; CARIBAS, A.; PAYARES, G.  and  VILLARROEL-DORREGO, M.. Histopathological oral tissues changes of rats exposed to tobacco smoke. Av Odontoestomatol [online]. 2014, vol.30, n.4, pp.219-225. ISSN 2340-3152.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histopathological changes in oral tissues of rats exposed to tobacco smoke. Materials & methods: 20 female rats Sprague Dawley were included in the study and 10 rats exposed to environmental tobacco smoke of 10 cigarettes daily for 16 weeks. All animals were sacrificed and tissues extracted, died using H&E and finally evaluated under light microscope. Categorical variables were compared using U Mann-Whitney test. P values<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Oral mucosa of rats exposed to tobacco showed augmented epithelial changes as basal hyperplasia basal (p= 0,001), acanthosis (p= 0,0001), nuclear hyperchromatism and picnosis (p= 0,010 y 0,014 respectively), and epithelial dysplasia (p= 0.0001). Increased chronic inflammatory infiltrate was also observed in this group (p= 0.007), as well as, a higher number of blood vessels although difference was not statistically significant. Discussion: Tobacco inhalation showed to produce tissue alterations of macroscopically healthy mucosa of rats. This study, using an animal model, demonstrated microscopical oral mucosa changes produced by tobacco smoke without clinical alterations.

Keywords : Smoking; animal model; histological changes; oral mucosa.

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