Radiation-Induced Histological Effects of CT on the Spleen and Heart in Wistar Rats: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A bstract Background: Computed tomography (CT) uses X-rays which are ionizing radiations. Ionizing radiation induces the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), leading to oxidative stress, which has negative effects on essential cellular components. Objective: To investigate the radiation-induced effects in the splenic and cardiac cells following varying doses of CT ionizing radiation in Wistar albino rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty healthy male Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned into five groups (A, B, C, D, and E) of six rats each. Rats in groups A, B, C, and D underwent total body CT irradiation once a week for 2 weeks, receiving varying doses of CT radiation, while group E rats were not exposed to irradiation (control). At 24 h after the last irradiation, animals of each group were sacrificed, their spleen and cardiac tissues were histologically fixed, mounted on glass slides, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Results: Following immediate post-irradiation, the spleen of rats exposed to varying radiation doses showed varying levels of cellular necrosis/damage while the cardiac muscles from all experimental groups of rats showed apparently normal striated myofibers. Conclusion: Varying doses of CT radiation used in this study caused significant necrosis in the splenic structure of irradiated rats while causing no significant injury on the cardiac structure of these same rats. We interpreted this aberration to the fact that some tissues in the body are more susceptible to irradiation effects due to the variations in the tissue radiosensitivity associated with DNA damage susceptibility.