Morphological assessment of reactive changes in mouse skin after single X-ray irradiation in various doses and with the introduction of beta-d-glucan

Background: At the present stage, ionizing radiation in the medical field is a fundamental method of diagnosis and therapy of various neoplastic pathologies. The manifestation of side effects from the skin caused by radiation is a widespread problem.

Aim: To identify and characterize the morphological features of the structure of the epithelial and connective tissues of mouse skin on the 9th day after a single X-ray irradiation in different absorbed doses (6.5, 7 and 7.8 Gray) for a morphofunctional assessment of the anti-radiation efficacy of beta-D-glucan.

Methods: For morphological analysis, the skin areas of the interscapular region (back) were fixed and treated according to the standard method for light microscopy, then stained with hematoxylin and eosin. To identify the nuclear antigen of proliferating cells, the sections were stained with an immunohistochemical marker PCNA.

Results: The study identified reactive changes in mouse skin tissue on the 9th day after a single X-ray exposure at different absorbed doses. Changes in the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio (NCR) of keratinocytes in the epidermal germ layers and a decrease in the proliferative activity of basal keratinocytes were detected. The protective effect of beta-D-glucan on skin tissue was characterized.

Conclusion: An experimental study demonstrated the morphological characteristics of reactive changes in mouse skin structures following a single X-ray irradiation at early stages at sublethal and lethal doses. Irradiation resulted in keratinocyte death and disruption of vertical differentiation (anisomorphism) within the epidermal proliferative unit, as well as the formation of perivascular and pericellular edema of varying intensity in the dermis. The use of beta-D-glucan optimizes keratinization processes and maintains dermal structures, suggesting a protective effect.