Déborah Pitta Paraíso Iglesias; Moacyr Jesus Barreto de Melo Rego; Eduardo Isidoro Carneiro Beltrão & Ana Paula Veras Sobral

Summary

Many of Glycobyological aspects of human development remain still unclear, mainly in oral science, and this could be observed in a lack of literature with few and old papers about this subject. During tooth histo-morphogenesis changes occur in basement membrane composition, expression of signaling molecules and in localization of cell surface components, where glyco components could be involved. In this sense, this work aimed to analyze the ConA ligands commonly founded in glycoproteins cores and UEA-I ligands since fucolization is a Key event in many physiological and pathological processes. Therefore 15 jaws of human fetuses were ethically obtained, histologicaly processed and then submitted to lectin histochemistry with appropriated controls. The results showed that lectins staining increase their intensity during dental development; ConA only starts to recognize glucose/mannose residues on ectomesechymal cells in the crow phase revealing its ligands when the enamel matrix starts to be secreted. Interestingly, Con A ligands were not founded in the basement membrane of the stratum intermedium of the enamel differing from rodents models. The staining pattern of UEA-I was different, starting to be positive in the ectomesenchyma since the bud stage and shown variable expression in cell type and staining intensity, which appeared be directly proportional to the progress of odontogenesis. Thus, this work shows that Con A and UEA-I exhibit a growing staining directly proporcional to ameloblasts and odontoblasts cytodiferenciation and revels some glycan differences between human odontogenesis and rodents models.

KEY WORDS: Odontogenesis; Carbohydrates; Lectin histochemistry.

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