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Complex cellular responses to tooth wear in rodent molar
A Mahdee1, A Alhelal1, J Eastham2
1Centre for Oral Health Research, Newcastle University, UK; Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, UK; School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, UK.
Archives of Oral Biology
|November 9, 2015
Summary
Tooth wear exposes dentine, prompting odontoblast cells to change structure and function. These dynamic cellular responses aim to maintain tooth integrity by altering odontoblast arrangement and protein expression in response to wear.
Area of Science:
- Dental Biology
- Cellular Physiology
- Tooth Wear Research
Background:
- The precise roles and arrangement of odontoblasts and their processes in sensing and responding to tooth wear injuries remain unclear.
- Tooth wear can lead to dentine exposure, necessitating cellular mechanisms to preserve tooth integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and functional adaptations of odontoblasts and their processes in response to dentine exposure caused by tooth wear.
- To identify changes in cellular components and sensory nerve fiber presence within dentinal tubules following tooth wear.
Main Methods:
- Utilized light and fluorescence microscopy on Wistar rat mandibular first molars.
- Sections were stained for cytoskeletal proteins (vimentin, α-tubulin, α-actin), homeostatic elements (NaK-ATPase, NHE-1), and sensory nerve fibers (CGRP).
- Examined worn and unworn regions of the mesial cusp to compare cellular responses.
Main Results:
- Immunoreactivity for vimentin, actin, NaK-ATPase, and CGRP was localized to the pulpal third of odontoblast processes (OPs).
- Tubulin and NHE-1 were expressed throughout the full thickness of OPs.
- In exposed dentine areas, tubules lacked OPs; odontoblasts exhibited stratified or pseudo-stratified arrangements, unlike the single layer in intact dentine regions.
Conclusions:
- Observed heterogeneity in odontoblast populations and variations in OPs based on antibody expression and location.
- Differences in OP extension and pulp cellular arrangement between worn and unworn areas indicate active cellular responses to dentinal tubule exposure.
- Findings suggest a dynamic cellular defense mechanism in odontoblasts to maintain tooth integrity against wear-induced damage.
