Histopathological study on the regeneration of junctional epithelium after gingivectomy in rats

Abstract

In order to elucidate the characteristics of the junctional epithelium (JE), I investigated lectin-binding patterns in JE derived from reduced enamel epithelium and in tissue regenerated from oral gingival epithelium (OGE) after gingivectomy. A peanut agglutinin (PNA)-positive reaction was observed in the cell membrane of ameloblasts in reduced enamel epithelium. PNA reacted with the JE regenerated from OGE after gingivectomy, but not with the basal cells. However, Ulex europaeus-I did not reacted with cell membrane through the JE. Thus, the cell membrane surface of the regenerated JE seemed to have complex carbohydrates similar to those present on the ameloblast surface. Regenerated JE displayed differentiation and morphology different from OGE, even though it was derived from epithelium.