Abstract
Background: Benzodiazepines (BZDs), the most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs with anxiolytic action, may cause hyposalivation. It has been previously shown that BZDs can cause hypertrophy and decrease the acini cell number. In this study, we investigated the effects of BZDs and pilocarpine on rat parotid glands, specifically on acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cells.Methods: Ninety male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups. Control groups received a saline solution for 30 days (C30) and 60 days (C60), and pilocarpine (PILO) for 60 days. Experimental groups received lorazepam (L30) and midazolam (M30) for 30 days. Another group (LS60 or MS60) received lorazepam or midazolam for 30 days, respectively, and saline for additional 30 days. Finally, other groups (LP60 or MP60) received either lorazepam or midazolam for 30 days, respectively, and pilocarpine for additional 30 days. The expression of calponin in myoepithelial cells and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in acinar and ductal cells were evaluated.Results: Animals treated with lorazepam showed an increase in the number of positive staining cells for calponin as compared to control animals (p < 0.05). Midazolam administered with pilocarpine (MP60) induced an increase in the proliferation of acinar and ductal cells and a decrease in the positive staining cells for calponin as compared to midazolam administered with saline (MS60).Conclusion: We found that myoepithelial cells might be more sensitive to the effects of BZD than acinar and ductal cells in rat parotid glands.
Highlights
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are a group of drugs used as anxiolytics, hypnotics, sedatives, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants
The histomorphometric revealed that, after the long-term treatment anxiolytics drugs: increase the cellular volume, we suggested that it could be due to blockage of the stimulus on the cholinergic receptors of the parotid glands contributed to the reduction in salivary flow
The effects of Midazolam per 30 days: reducing the salivary flow rate, increase Cell volume, results of immunohistochemistry the work revealed that: Calponin showed no interference on myopithelial cell neither proliferating cell nuclear antiantigen (PCNA)
Summary
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are a group of drugs used as anxiolytics, hypnotics, sedatives, muscle relaxants, and anticonvulsants. These drugs have largely been substituted by barbiturates. BZDs comprise nearly 50% of all prescribed psychotropic drugs (Lader et al, 2009). BZDs bind at the interface of two subunits (alpha and gamma subunits) of gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor type A. It is well-known that GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system (CNS). BZDs facilitate the action of GABA at the GABAA receptors. Benzodiazepines (BZDs), the most commonly prescribed psychotropic drugs with anxiolytic action, may cause hyposalivation. We investigated the effects of BZDs and pilocarpine on rat parotid glands, on acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cells
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