[Morphohistochemical development of mesenchyme in human fetal labial glands]

The structural and histochemical patterns of the salivary mesenchyma were analysed in relation to the epithelium of the labial glands during the embryonic development to correlate the structural and histochemical characteristics in both tissues during the histogenesis. Samples of human fetal lips were analysed using H/E, PAS, Cason, Alcian blue, Toluidine blue and Methenamine/silver. The process of glandular histogenesis begun between 8 to 10 weeks. The mesenchyma surrounding the glandular buds had PAS positive granulations which were also alcianophilic, metachromatic and periodatoreactive. Periodatoreactive collagenous fibrillae, reticular cells and nervous fibers of considerable diameter were observed. Basement membranes were PAS positive, alcianophilic and discontinuous. At 12 weeks the mesenchyma differentiated as loose connective tissue which produced a delicate periglandular capsule with fibroblast and collagenous fibrillae. From 20 to 24 weeks the acini were structurally and histochemically differentiated as serous, mucous and mixed. It was postulated that the periglandular mesenchyma would play and important role in the morphogenetic process in relation to the histochemical identification of molecules which have a specific biological functions in the epithelium-mesenchyma interactions during organogenesis.