Studies on the Function of Junctional Epithelium and the Mechanism of Epithelial Attachment

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 12671761
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphological basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: YAMASHITA Yasuo Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 大学院・医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (70014157)
• Project Period (FY): 2000 – 2002
• Keywords: Gingiva / Junctional Epithlium / Epithelial Attachment

Research Abstract

To investigate the function of the junctional epithelium and the mechanism of epithelial attachment, I chiefly observed a morphological feature of human teeth and gingiva by histological and immunohistochemical technique.
A comparatively wide intercellular space was seen in junctional epithelium. It seemed that these intercellular space decreased mechanical pressure that the junctional epithelium receive while masticating. The epithelial cells that attach to the tooth surface have a lot of cell organelles and granular structures. Moreover, because a lot of infoldings of cell membrane and vesicles are observed near the cell membrane of the dentine side, it seems that these cells synthesize a certain kind of substance, and do absorption and the secretion vigorously. As for the hemidesmosome, basal lamina and the cell membrane of the epithelial cell that faced tooth, it was confirmed that the possibility to become a part of element that composed dental cuticle was high. Causing the expansion of the periodontal pocket by the disruption between junctional epithelial cells became clear in morphology