Abstract
1. In this study, we have tried to investigate the formation of dental hard tissues, especially amelogenesis, by utilizing a fluorescence microscope. As a result of this study, the secondary fluorescence of the sections stained with acridin orange as fluorochrom shows various and well differentiated fluorescence colors, which proves most effective.
2. The fluorescence microscope used in this study is one combined with LEITZ's camera microscope ‘Panphot’. The source of radiation used was an PHILIPS' high pressure mercury vapor lamp CS. 150, operating at 120 volts and 2.7 ampere. As the filter was designed to remove visible radiation from ultra violet light, 4mm thick blue fluorescence filter BG 12 is used, and as a filter for absorbing the red portion of visible spectrum, the liquid filter filled with 3per cent copper sulphate solution, is used. Ultra violet protective filters inserted into the microscope ocular are those of 2.5mm thick OG 1. Photomicrographs were taken by the one lens reflex camera attached to the microscope. The films used for this purpose are FUJI Color (reversal type, ASA 10), Ektachron (daylight type, ASA 32), and Konicolor (negative, ASA 50).
3. The distributions and the changes of the elements that fluoresce bright orange or bright orange red color in the cytoplasm of each enamel organ cell at each stage will coincide with those of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the cytoplasm of the same cells (Fig. 1, 2, 3 and 4) The granules in the cytoplasm of the ameloblasts can, to a certain degree, be distinguished by the difference of fluorescence color, it seems. (Fig. 2)
4. By this methode, the secondary fluorescence color of the enamel matrix, especially the one at the formative stage, is similar to that of the granular layer and the deeper zone of keratin layer of the epidermis and both the fluorescence colors change in the same way, according to pH of buffer dye solution changes (Table 1).
5. It has thus been recognized that ‘cuticle-like structure’ in the ameloblasts at the maturation stage shows entirely different fluorescence color from the other portion of cytoplasms (Fig. 3 and 4).
6. It is considered that a fluorescence microscopy is a very usefull method for histological and histochemical studies on amelogenesis. However, it is required that we should be very careful of the interpretation of these findings, and further this fluorescence microscopy must be applied with routine methods, histological and histochemical.
