Methods: Wistar male rats had their heads and necks irradiated by means of Alcion CGR II (Siemens) equipment , with a 15 Gy single dose of gamma radiation (Co 60). Their glands were removed at 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after irradiation. Afterwards, they were submitted to an immunohistochemical analysis.
Results: It was observed that, in comparison to the control group, the irradiated animals presented increased laminin staining intensity in the acinar cells, together with a gradual increase of its discontinuity from Group 2 (8 hours) on. Additionally, laminin-positive conglomerations were found in the irradiated groups, especially in the last one.
Conclusion: These results clearly show that the extracellular matrix is greatly affected by the influence of gamma radiation.