Development of an in vivo mouse model to study oral submucous fibrosis.
BACKGROUND
Epidemiological data have shown an association of areca nut chewing with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Experimental evidence to confirm this has been limited. Fibrosis-promoting activity of areca nut was tested in an animal model.


METHODS
Buccal mucosa of a group of 20 female BALB/c strain mice, 10-12 weeks of age, was treated twice daily 6 days per week with topical application of aqueous areca nut extracts for 300-600 days. A control group (n = 20) was treated with 50 mM NaCl. The influence of areca nut on the oral epithelium and connective tissue was recorded semiquantitatively by light microscopy.


RESULTS
The areca nut-treated oral epithelium showed progressive changes in epithelial thickness leading to atrophy, increased cellularity of fibroblasts, fibrosis of connective tissue, focal infiltration of inflammatory cells and muscle atrophy. On killing after 600 days of treatment, the scores on cellularity, inflammation and muscle atrophy were significantly different to the control group (P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
The study provides further evidence that areca nut contributes to the development of OSF in treated animals. The model has the potential to test synergism of areca nut with other carcinogens and any therapeutic interventions.
Sumeth Perera
M W
MW
Department of Biochemisty, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Gunasinghe
D
D
Perera
P A J
PA
Ranasinghe
A
A
Amaratunga
P
P
Warnakulasuriya
S
S
Kaluarachchi
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001114:Areca / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D023421:Models, Animal; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced*