Histopathological comparison of topical therapy modalities for acute radiation proctitis in an experimental rat model

Table 1 Grading of histological changes on microscopic examination

Structure	Characteristic
Surface epithelium	Loss of cellular height/flattening of cells
	Cellular inflammatory infiltrate
Glands (crypts)	Luminal migration of epithelial nuclei
	Loss of goblet cells
	Mitotic activity
	Cryptitis (migration of segmental neutrophils
	through the crypt wall)
	Eosinophilic crypt abscesses
	Loss of glands
	Atrophy of glands
	Distortion of glands
Lamina propria	Inflammation
	Edema
	Congestion of blood vessels

The abnormalities were assessed as normal (score = 0) or abnormal, ranked according to severity and arranged in quartiles.

Table 2 Comparison of the histopathological scores of the rectal specimens with regard to the euthanasia days (mean ± SD)

	5th d	10th d	15th d
Control	7.40 ± 3.89	39.20 ± 3.581	35.40 ± 2.27
Mesalazine	5.60 ± 3.41	11.40 ± 3.37	22.40 ± 2.37
Formalin	10.0 ± 4.50	38.20 ± 3.612	37.00 ± 2.262
Betamethasone	3.20 ± 1.03	20.60 ± 3.41	18.20 ± 4.32
Misoprostol	4.40 ± 1.71	20.80 ± 2.70	23.6 ± 2.802

¹ Two specimens were excluded;

² One specimen was excluded.