Asmaa Mahmoud Abdeen, Tarik Essawy And Saher Sayed Mohammed,

ABSTRACT
Background: Sofosbuvir (SOF) Was Published In 2013 As A Part Of First-line Treatment For Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) By The�American Association For The Study Of Liver Diseases . SOF Was Recommended For All Genotypes With A Cure Rate Greater Than 90%. Objective: Investigating Sofosbuvir-induced Alterations In The Rat Submandibular Salivary Gland (SMSG) Histologically And Immunohistochemically. Methodology: 80 Adult Rats Weighing About �150 Gm Were Divided Into 2 Groups, Group I (control Group) And Group II (experimental Group) Divided In To 3 Subgroups And Received SOF 40 Mg/kg/day For 1, 2 And 3 Months. All Animals Were Sacrificed, SMSG Were Dissected And Specimens Were Examined Histologically And Immunohistochemically.

Results: Compared To Group I, Group II Subgroup (1) And (2) Showed Acinar And Ductal Vacuolization, Oedema, Discontinuity Of The Epithelial Lining With Retained Coagulum In The Granular Convoluted Tubules (GCTs). These Changes Were Found To Be Exaggerated In Subgroup (3) Accompanied By Acinar And Ductal Shrinkage And Loss Of Gland Compactness. A Statistically Highly Significant Decrease In PCNA Immunoreaction Was Noticed In Experimental Group From Subgroup (1) To Subgroup (3). Conclusion: SOF Had Affected The Structure And Function Of SMSG Through Increased Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Levels Leading To Degenerative Changes.