Electron microscopic changes in rat parotid and submandibular glands subsequent total body irradiation with fast neutrons.

Female Sprague-Dawley rats wre irradiated with fast neutrons to study the radiobiologic effect on the parotid and submandibular salivary glands. Cytologic alternations were seen in the parotid tissues as early as 3 hours after exposure and peaked in both parotid and submandibular glands by the fourth postradiation day. The injury was manifest as damaged and sequestered intracytoplasmic organelles appearing as pleomorphic inclusions. The two types of glandular tissue showed similar morphologic alterations. No injury to blood vessels or other radiosensitive cells could be found.