Abstract
Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of X radiation on the distribution of filamentous actin (F-actin) in the mouse exorbital lacrimal gland. Materials and methods. Mice were divided into groups that received no radiation (n = 6) or one single exposure of 36 mGy of X radiation (n = 12). The animals were sacrificed after 4, 8 or 24 h. The lacrimal glands were stained with Hematoxylin/Eosin or Rhodamine-phalloidin and the filamentous actin arrangement was analyzed by confocal microscopy. Results. After 4 h of X-ray exposure there was an apparent increase in acini area and a decrease in the cortical F-actin content in secretory cells. This effect decreased gradually over time, returning to values close to the control after 24 h. Conclusion. This study shows that a 36mGy diagnostic X-ray dose affected reversibly the mouse exorbital lacrimal gland, suggesting that radiation used in diagnosis may induce changes on cell morphology due to actin remodeling.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Raquel Matos de Oliveira from The Laboratory of Ageing Biology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC/RS) for the excellent technical assistance. This study was supported by FAPESP. Marcelo Lamers received a scholarship from CNPq.
Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.