Abstract
In the present work, nutritionally well taken care of rats were fed with food containing sodium fluoride. In some cases, CaCO3, Vitamin D, Methionin etc. were further added. On these occasions, the morphological changes occurred in the oral glands, especially in the lingual glands and its relation to the growth and body weight were investigated. In the serous glands, among the oral glands (Ebner's gland), vacuolar degeneration, dissociation, fusion and atrophy of glandular epithelium were noted, but the atrophy and degeneration found in the efferent duct were mild. In view of the above findings, in the present experiment the regressive changes in the lingual glands were found generally more distinct in Ebner's glands than in Weber's glands (mutinous glands) . However, in the cases of the addition of CaCO3 alone, the influence could not be regarded consistent, though, when the histological findings were qualitatively studied, slightly more cases highly affected were found among those in the group without CaCO3, and higher loss in the body weight was noted in the group without CaCO3. From the above observations, the author presumed that the combination with CaCO3 acts against the harmful action of sodium fluoride as neutralizer and buffer.
In the cases of the addition of Methionin combined with CaCO3, the changes in the epithelium of the Ebner's gland were found extremely mild up to 7 ppm of NaF, but the changes suddenly became severe at the concentration of 10 ppm of NaF. The above fact is suggesting that the harmful action of NaF is inhibited by the combination with the threshold at 7 ppm.
Furthermore, the increased appearance of mast cells at the focus of fusing changes in the Ebner's glands suggests a correlationship to the formation of the secretion which possesses fusing action, thus makes the author to consider that it has a significant relation to the regressive changes, especially the fusing changes due to the toxic action of fluorine.
