An ultrastructural study of the supporting tissues of sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) teeth

The teeth of sea urchins are connected to the calcareous jaw plates, known as pyramids, by a ligament consisting of collagen fibers and microfibrils synthesized by fibroblasts in the aboral growth zone of the tooth. This ligament needs to be sufficiently stiff to hold the teeth firmly when the animal scrapes hard surfaces, but also needs to be flexible enough to allow the teeth to move outwards during growth. To understand the mechanisms that regulate the growth and stiffness of sea urchin teeth, we have examined the ultrastructural organization of the supporting structures of Lytechinus variegatus teeth. Electron microscopy showed that collagen fibrils were mechanically attached to the jaws was formed by cavities that ramificated in the deep portions. The collagen fibrils were not mechanically linked to the jaws. These findings suggest that the stiffness of the ligament is mediated by chemical bonding between the collagen fibrils and the jaw surface. The cavities present in the pyramids greatly increased the surface area and strengthened the area for the bonding of collagen fibrils.

Kinetics of labelled precursors incorporated in the enamel matrix during amelogenesis as shown by radioautography

The kinetics of (3)H-tymidine and (3)H-proline incorporated by ameloblasts and enamel, were studied in undecalcified mouse incisors from birth to 6 days of age. Serial cross sections of unfixed right incisors were cut with a cryotome. The left incisors were fixed in paraformaldehyde, embedded in polybed as to get sagital 1 mum-thick sections. (3)H-thymidine was used to determine the apparent daily migration rate of ameloblasts, which was 513 mum in the unfixed sections and 610 mum/p.d. in the fixed ones. The semi-thin epon-embedded sections were also used to measure the lengths of the regions of the secretory and post-secretory zone of amelogenesis and to determine their growth during the experimental period. (3)H-proline was used to show the fate of the enamel proteins by correlating the radiactivity, determined by silver grain counts, with the migration rate of the ameloblasts. The results showed that the (3)H-proline labeled protein reached a peak of radiactivity at 4 h over ameloblasts and between 24 and 48 h after injection over enamel. In the unfixed section of the righ incisor a second peak of reaction was shown at48 h over ameloblasts and at72 h over enamel matrix. All these peaks were related to ameloblasts and enamel of the secretory zone. These results were interpreted as the evidence of reabsorption and reutilization of labeled proteins broken down in the young enamel, but may also be explained as secretion of low molecular weight proteins which are not kept by fixation. Another evidence of reutilization of labeled compounts for the biosynthesis of enamel proteins were given by the labeling of ameloblasts and enamel formed after birth at a considerable time after the pulse of (3)H-proline.

Detecçäo histoquímica de glicoproteínas e glicosaminoglicanos na mucosa respiratória de ratas albinas durante o ciclo estral, prenhez e puerpério / Histochemical detection of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans in the respiratory mucosa of albino rats during estrous cycle, pregnancy and puerperio

Neste trabalho procuramos determinar com métodos histoquímicos as possíveis alteraçöes do muco presente na mucosa respiratória de ratas albinas durante o ciclo estral, prenhez e puerpério. Com base nos resultados obtidos, foi possível concluir que: a - Näo ocorrem alteraçöes da natureza do muco epitelial e supra-epitelial durante as fases estudadas; b - Durante a prenhez desaparece a alcianofilia da substância fundamental da lâmina própria, que reaparece durante o puerpério