Development of mammalian tooth cultured in vitro and as transplants: a light and scanning electron microscopic study
Majumder, A.L.; Wrathall, J.R.; Mukherjee, K.L.; Bhussry, B.R.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 23(10): 541-548
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5189 PMID: 3833670 Document Number: 264239
Day 0 rat neonatal first and second molars were cultured in different organ culture systems at a stage when enamel and dentin forming cells were not differentiated functionally. The explants were cultured at first in a(1) semi-solid agar gel medium and (2) submerged in a well-defined medium for a period of 2 weeks. In the agar-medium the explants did not grow well. In submerged culture at 7 days period the ameloblast and odontoblast cells were functionally differentiated producing enamel and dentin respectively but production of enamel was at a much reduced rate and maturation of enamel was not complete. Subcutaneous homologous transplantation of normal day 0 second molars and 4 day cultured molars into the litter mates for 7, 14 and 21 days showed normal development of tooth with production of mature dentin and enamel as compared to 7 day neonatal molars with few occasional osteodentin formation. The light microscopic histological study was further strengthened with scanning electron microscopic study of the transplants fordetailed structure. It was concluded that submerged culture system provides a very simple method for studying tooth morphogenesis and it could be followed by transplantation where dentin and enamel maturation can be experimentally studied.