Ultrastructural changes in rat palatal epithelium after beta-aminopropionitrile

Beta-Aminopropionitrile (BAPN) retarded or suppressed epithelial changes in the medial edge of the palatal process in later stages of gestation in rats. Programmed cell death did not follow the usual pattern, and only a few lysosomes were observed on day 18 of gestation. The sensitivity of the medial epithelium to BAPN appeared to be different in various areas of the palatal epithelium; the epithelium on the anterior region of the palatal process was hypertrophied and keratinized, while posteriorly the medial or neighboring epithelium was very thin and, in neonatal rats, the covering was absent. A basal lamina was distinct in the anterior region and indistinct or fragmented posteriorly. Collagen fibers did not develop adjacent to the basal lamina, and an amorphous material was scattered throughout the mesenchymal tissue. These findings suggest that BAPN decreases the "connecting capacity" between mesenchyme and epithelium, and results in a modification of epithelial changes.