title: The efficacy of montelukast as a protective agent against 131I-induced salivary gland damage in rats: scintigraphic and histopathological findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of montelukast as a novel radioprotective agent against sodium [131I]iodide or potassium [131I]iodide (131I)-induced salivary gland damage in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  The function and structure of salivary glands in 50 albino Wistar rats were evaluated with technetium-99m pertechnetate scintigraphies and histopathological examination. The animals were classified into five groups as follows: the control group (sham operated); group 1 (n=10; only 131I administration), group 2 (n=10; administration with 131I and montelukast); group 3 (n=10; 131I administration after total thyroidectomy); and group 4 (n=10; administration with 131I and montelukast after total thyroidectomy). All rats were killed at the end of the third month and three pairs of salivary glands were removed surgically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scintigraphic evaluation revealed better results for groups administered montelukast than it did for other groups. Statistically significant differences (P<0.05 or P<0.001) were found between the control group and the other groups as well as between groups 1 and 3 (n=20) and groups 2 and 4 (n=20). However, there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) between groups 1 and 2 (n=20) and groups 3 and 4 (n=20). Histopathological examinations showed that pathological changes were significantly high in the groups treated with 131I without montelukast when compared with the other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study on rats to assess the protective effect of montelukast on salivary glands after 131I therapy. According to our results, montelukast was found to be a potential protective agent against 131I-induced damage on salivary glands.
authors.affiliation: Department of aNuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health, Ankara Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.forename: Salih S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gültekin
authors.forename: Unsal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuru
authors.forename: Koray
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.forename: Meliha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D005260:Female; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011804:Quinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D013440:Sulfides; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011804:Quinolines; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D013440:Sulfides; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; C093875:montelukast