title: An experimental cyst model established from human unkeratinized vaginal mucosa.
abstract: Because of the scarcity of sizeable specimens of normal oral mucosa and the availability of human vaginal mucosa, which resembles the lining mucosa of the mouth, we used the latter to establish a human cyst model. Fragments of vaginal mucosa, removed during corrective procedures, were sutured around 2 mm glass balls and implanted into the flanks of nude mice. Thirty-seven specimens were implanted and 31 harvested after 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks. At 6 weeks the wall of the implanted cyst consisted of recognizable unkeratinized vaginal mucosa but had not healed completely at the sutured edges. From 9 weeks the cyst cavities were healed and the lumens lined by unkeratinized stratified squamous vaginal epithelium. The enclosing connective tissue had retained the characteristics of the lamina propria of the vaginal mucosa and could be distinguished from mouse tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: van Wyk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D003560:Cysts / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014621:Vagina / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins