Abstract
Introduction
Methylphenidate (MFD) is a stimulant amphetamine derivative of the central nervous system, which is being increasingly consumed by the world population, including women of childbearing age. It has not yet established the effects of this medicine in the salivary glands during pregnancy.
Objective
Evaluate the exposure effects to the MPD in the maternal salivary glands.
Material and method
For prenatal study, 32 pregnant female Swiss mice were used, divided into a control and a treated group. The treated group received 5 mg/kg of MPD via subcutaneous injection from the 5th to the 17th day and the control received sterile saline in the same volume and pregnancy period. Females were euthanized and had their salivary glands removed and embedded in paraffin for analysis in optical microscopy. To evaluate the association between the variables of the groups, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and and T test were used.
Result
The parotid glands of the treated group showed statistically significant change within the ducts and the amount of acini when compared to the control group. The submandibular gland was the most affected, it showed a difference statistically significant in wall thickness of the secretory ducts, within the ducts and within the acini when compared to the control group. The sublingual gland showed no significant changes.
Conclusion
In this experiment methylphenidate is presented as inducing agent morphological changes of the salivary glands, promoting significant changes in ducts radii and acini, submandibular gland being more susceptible to this drug.
Descriptors:
Methylphenidate; salivary glands; pregnancy