title: Development of tooth germ heterotopically grafted within the ear skin. An histological study in the rat.
abstract: The main goal of this study was the analysis of the developmental potentiality of tooth germ from late bell stage on, after its heterotopic placement within the skin. Teeth germs of newborn rats were grafted within a skin pouch of the ear of adult rats. Seven to fourteen days after grafting, dental germs developed normal dental structures in which ameloblasts and odontoblasts were well differentiated. Twenty to forty-one days after graft, the inflammatory host reaction destroyed the dental developed tissues by cell infiltration. The dentin of the grafts was of osteoid characteristics, and its size increased depending on grafting time until the complete substitution of all dental tissues. This atypical dentin showed several degrees of polymerisation from collagen fibres smooth dentin devoid near the graft a to fibres rich dentin far from the dental germ. Present results suggest that this type of dental graft could be a valuable model to study the self-development of dental tissues and the reactive mechanisms taking place after dental injuries.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Odontología, CCS, UNIVALI-SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Telmo José
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mezadri
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rivero-Tames
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boabaid
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Armengol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D004423:Ear / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation*; D016042:Transplantation, Heterotopic