Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the tongue epithelial response to cigarette smoke exposure on a number of macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression to determine the risk factor of oral cancer development.
Materials and methods: Thirty Rattus norvegicus will be exposed to two kinds of cigarette smoke by a smoking pump for 4 and 8 weeks. The tongues were collected to analyze the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and plasma cells with hematoxylin-eosin. The MMP-9 expression was similarly analyzed with immunohistochemical staining and then compared with the control group.
Results: The number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression was higher in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure compared to the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure and the control group (p < 0.000). The number of plasma cell did not differ in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure from that of the control group (p > 0.05). The number of plasma cells in the tongue tissue during the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure was not determined.
Conclusion: Cigarette smoke exposure induces the risk of oral cancer development as a result of an increase in the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression in the tongue epithelial.
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