Ultrastructural study on the duct system of the submandibular gland of adult control and experimentally diabetic male albino rat

ABSTRACT

The fine structure of the submandibular gland of male adult albino rats has been examined in control and in rats subjected to induced diabetes for one, two and four months. The ultrastructure of submandibular gland of control rats was thoroughly described. Certain observations were recorded for the first time in rats, such as the presence of a special type of cells in the intercalated duct under the name clear cells [primitive cells]. The lining of the striated and granular ducts were focussed upon. All diabetic rats developed persistent hyperglycemia, lost weight, had atrophied testes and some of them became cachectic. Variable ultrastructural changes were evident in the affected submandibular components even in early stages of diabetic induction of the experiment. It became more progressive after four months of induced diabetes. The duct system of the gland showed the prevalence of granular cells on the expense of clear cells among the lining epithelium of intercalated duct, degranulation of the lining cells of granular convoluted tubule and their atrophy after four months of treatment. The general architecture of the striated ductal cells was disrupted, the basal enfoldings of the plasma membrane became indistinct and the cytoplasm showed vacuoles which compressed the nucleus and organelles