title: Comparative angioarchitectural formation seen in microvascular cast specimens of the fungiform papillae in the weaning period and adult rat tongue.
abstract: The purpose of this study was an attempt to identify the functional and comparative angioarchitectural differences between the sexes, and the developmental processes seen in microvascular cast specimens (MVCS) of the formation of the fungiform papillae (FuP) geometrically and regularly distributed on the anterodorsal surface in the weaning period and in the adult rat tongue. The basic microvascular structure seen in the MVCS of FuP of both the weaning and adult rat tongue consisted of several ascending (As. b) and descending branches (Ds. b) and a loop structure (L. st), and the cylindrical network structure of the L. st made up of the open-hole formation of the C form of the upper and lower microvascular structures. In the lateral view, the MVCS of FuP has a bamboo basket-like shape, and by means of the three-dimensional expansion of the surface area, effectively plays an assistant functional role in receiving the taste of foods and liquids. There were obviously no sex and morphological differences in the developmental process as to shape, but there was some difference between the weaning period and the adult rat in size in the MVCS of FuP.
authors.affiliation: First Laboratory of Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry at Tokyo, Nippon Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ojima
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003196:Computer Graphics; D005260:Female; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000254:growth & development; D014886:Weaning