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Lingual changes in ageing mice by light- and scanning electron-microscopy.
1Department of Oral Medicine, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Forsyth Dental Center, Boston, MA 02115.
Archives of Oral Biology
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Aging significantly alters mouse tongue structure. Senescent mice exhibit atrophic epithelium and disorganized filiform papillae, indicating age-related changes in oral tissues.
Area of Science:
- Oral biology
- Gerontology
- Comparative anatomy
Background:
- The aging process affects various tissues, including those in the oral cavity.
- Understanding age-related changes in the tongue is crucial for oral health research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and document the morphological changes in the tongues of aging Swiss-Webster white mice.
- To compare tongue tissue alterations across different age groups: young, old, and senescent.
Main Methods:
- Histological examination of tongue sections from young, old, and senescent Swiss-Webster white mice.
- Analysis of anterior, posterior, and ventral regions of the tongue tissues.
Main Results:
- Senescent mice showed atrophic and hyperkeratotic epithelium.
- Filiform papillae were blunted, atrophic, and disorganized on the dorsal surface in older mice.
- Ventral surfaces in senescent mice displayed thinning epithelium, hyperchromatic germinal layer, and surface disorganization.
Conclusions:
- Aging leads to significant, region-specific degenerative changes in the mouse tongue.
- These findings highlight the impact of senescence on oral tissue morphology and structure.