title: Rates of clearance of the epithelial surfaces of mouse oral mucosa and skin.
abstract: Cell desquamation, by removing material adherent to the epithelial surface, appears to play an important role in limiting bacterial colonization of epithelia. Data are available concerning rates of epidermal surface clearance but similar data for oral mucosal epithelia, which exist in an environment more conducive to colonization, have not been reported. The rates of surface clearance of six regions of murine oral mucosa and skin were assessed by two different methods: (a) EM autoradiography to examine the rate of passage of a 3H-histidine label through the stratum corneum, and (b) measurement of rates of cell proliferation and of the size of the superficial cells of the stratum corneum. The autoradiographic (direct) method indicated regionally-varying epidermal clearance rates (6.3-15.9 h) which compared well with published data. This method indicated considerably faster (2.3-3.4 h) clearance rates for the three oral mucosal regions. The rates of surface clearance that were calculated indirectly, from rates of cell proliferation and of cell size, similarly showed faster clearance rates for mucosa (2.0-3.9 h) than for skin (6.0-17.9 h) but differed in the relative rates calculated for the individual regions of mucosa and skin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kvidera
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography / Q000379:methods; D002455:Cell Division; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006639:Histidine / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D014316:Tritium; D006639:Histidine