The purpose of our research was to study the morphofunctional status of the adrenal glands and thymus in the descendants with a mechanical wound to determine the long-term consequences effects of their parents’ passive smoking on resistance and reactivity. Material and methods. The study was carried out on 73 rats (25 females and 10 males aged 3 months; 38 descendant females at the age of 2 months) belonging to the Vistar line. The animals were kept under normal vivarium conditions under natural light, with a common diet. The use of water was free. Results and discussion. The study showed that changes in the morphofunctional status of the adrenal glands and thymus in the descendants of rats born from parents exposed to passive tobacco smoking are manifested depending on fumigation of only the father or father and mother, as well as the period of the skin cut made. Reduction of the spongiocytes total number in the descendant sacrificed in 24 h and 48 h after mechanical wounding, whose father was subjected to passive tobacco smoking using the “Priluki” light cigarettes (groups 2, 5), amounted by 27% and 25%, respectively. Increase in the width of the adrenal glands’ zone fasiculata was observed in the descendants of group 3 (males and females were subjected to tobacco intoxication with “Priluki” light cigarettes) was by 15% and in group 6 it was by 13%. Group 6 rat descendants had the medullary substance area increased twice. The obtained results indicate the hormones secretion activating in the respective adrenal glands areas, which is a sign of the descendant’s stress in the mentioned experimental groups. In group 5, reduction of the medullary substance area was by 24%, which may be due to its function’s depletion. Histological studies of the adrenal glands in the second group showed an increase of the spongiocytes nuclei, the cytolysis areas occurrence, and in animals of group 3, hyperplasia of spongiocytes was determined. In group 3, the absolute thymus mass grew by 81%, in group 6 it increased by 55%. In these groups, the relative thymus mass grew by 50% in comparison with the control groups. In groups 3, 5, 6 the area of epithelial cells’ nuclei grew (by 17%, 21% and 34%, respectively). Conclusions. The revealed changes are specific manifestations of the compensatory response to wounds healing in the descendants whose parents were subjected to chronic fumigation.
Keywords: local immunity, mechanical wound, passive tobacco smoking, adrenal glands, spongiocytes, thymus, epithelial cells
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