الفهرس 
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Abstract
The parotid gland is the largest of the major salivary glands. It is br located in the retromandibular fossa, anterior to the ear and br sternocleidomastoid muscle. br Parotid gland is compound, tubuloalveolar, exocrine gland of br merocrine - type . Each gland consists of two main elements: the br glandular secretory portion (the parenchyma) and the supporting br connective tissue (the stroma).The gland is surrounded by capsule of br moderately dense connective tissue -#102;-#114;-#111;-#109; which septa divide the secretory br portion of the gland into lobes and lobules. br The parotid acinus is composed of wedge-shapes cells, with br relatively wide basal surface facing the basal lamina and small apical br surface facing a small central lumen. The luminal part of the cell contain br granules that are located in the apical cytoplasm. The basal part of each br serous cell is delineated -#102;-#114;-#111;-#109; the surrounding connective tissue by a basal br lamina. This region of the cell contains the nucleus, large amounts of br rER, free ribosomes, and Golgi apparatus. br The oral cavity is kept moist by a film of fluid called saliva that br coats the teeth and the mucosa. Saliva is a complex fluid, produced by the br salivary gland .The contribution -#102;-#114;-#111;-#109; each of salivary glands varies. At br rest, the parotid produces 20%, the submandibular gland 65%, and the br sublingual gland and minor glands 15%. On stimulation the parotid br secretion rises to 50% . br Benzodiazepines belong to a class of medications known as br sedative-hypnotics. The sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics are central br nervous system depressants that also have muscle relaxant and br anticonvulsant effects and are widely used in psychiatry, neurology, br anesthesiology, and general medicine. The most common of these are the br benzodiazepines which due to their better safety profiles have largely br replaced the barbiturates and other older agents, particularly in the br treatment of insomnia and anxiety. br Reported side effects of benzodiazepines include drowsiness, br lethargy, impairment of mental and physical activities, skin rashes, br nausea, diminished libido, irregularities in the menstrual cycle, blood cell br abnormalities, and increased sensitivity to alcohol and other CNS br depressants. Very high doses of benzodiazepines have significant impact br on respiration. Numerous studies in both humans and animals have br confirmed that BDZs suppress salivary secretion as a serious oral side br effect. br Pilocarpine is an alkaloid obtained -#102;-#114;-#111;-#109; the leaves of tropical br American plants -#102;-#114;-#111;-#109; the genus Pilocarpus. Pilocarpine is a cholinergic br parasympathomimetic agent exerting a broad spectrum of pharmacologic br effects with predominant action on both peripheral and central br muscarinic sites. The cholinomimetic action of Pilocarpine on smooth br muscle muscarinic receptors generally results in contraction. br Pilocarpine has been used in the treatment of chronic open-angle br glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma for over 100 years and is br also used to treat dry mouth (xerostomia) which can occur as a side effect br of radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. br The aim of the present work was to throw some light on the br histological and ultrastructural effect of benzodiazepine on the parotid br gland of adult male albino rats and the possible protective effect of br Pilocarpine.