Morphofunctional Characteristics of the Stomach Exposed to Sodium Tetraborate

The aim is to study the morphological and functional characteristics of the gastric mucosa of rats exposed to sodium tetraborate.Material and methods. The object of the study were the stomachs of 50 white male mongrel rats. The animals were divided into 2 groups. Animals of the 1st group once intragastrically through the probe entered the borax in the dose of LD50– 5000 mg/kg. Animals of the second group intragastrically through a tube daily introduced sodium tetraborate at a dose of 1/10 LD50– 500 mg/kg. the Animals of the 1stgroup were withdrawn from the experiment in a day after single administration of sodium tetraborate, animals of the 2ndgroup – 7, 14, 21 and 30 days after the start of the experiment. The obtained material was treated using histological, histochemical and immunocytochemical methods.Results. With a single and long-term exposure to sodium tetraborate in the gastric mucosa against the background of edema, stagnation of blood elements in the blood vessels of the microcirculatory bed, moderate leukocyte infiltration, there was focal desquamation of the epithelium, numerous destructive changes in the cover and glandular cells of the gastric mucosa, a significant death of epithelial cells, accompanied by a decrease in the secretory function of mucous cells. Destructive changes are more pronounced at a higher dose of sodium tetraborate. Damage to epithelial cells lead to an increase in the zone of proliferative activity of the epithelium of the mucous membrane (mitoses are noted not only in the neck of the gland, but also in the body of the gland and in the epithelium of gastric pits). In the own plate of the mucous membrane there is an increase in the activity of fibroblasts.Conclusion. The data obtained indicate a negative impact of the used doses of sodium tetraborate. The expansion of the zone of proliferative activity of the epithelium of the mucous membrane of the stomach, aimed at the restoration of structural homeostasis, is not fully offset with a significant destruction of epithelial and glandular cells. The increase in the activity of fibroblastic differon cells indicates their greater resistance to the negative effects of sodium tetraborate in comparison with epithelial cells.