Efficacy of corticosteroid ductal irrigation in acute salivary gland inflammation induced in a rat model

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of corticosteroid irrigations and normal saline irrigations in the early inflammatory state of the salivary gland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into experimental (n=6) and control (n=3) groups. Inflammation was induced in the experimental subjects on both sides of the submandibular gland with ligation. After 14 days, both sides of the glands were de-ligated and retroductal irrigation using saline (n=3) and a corticosteroid (n=3) was performed on the left sides only. The controls (n=3) were used to normalize the gland state for the effects of diet and aging. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to confirm inflammation and post-irrigation gland recovery by measuring relative signal intensity (SI). The glands were excised for histological examination. RESULTS: All experimental animals showed inflamed glands with increased SI and subsequent recovery of the gland with decreased SI to varying degrees. The SI of the controls showed no significant changes during the overall period. The mean SI change of the irrigated gland was higher than that of the non-irrigated side, without a significant difference. The corticosteroid-irrigated glands showed a greater change in SI than that of the saline-irrigated glands. Histology revealed that inflammation was not observed in most of the irrigated glands, while mild to moderate quantities inflammatory cells were found in non-irrigated glands. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid irrigation mitigated the early stages of salivary gland inflammation more effectively than normal saline.