Casasco A, Calligaro A, Casasco M, Springall D R, Tenti P, Marchetti C, Poggi P, Polak J M
Institute of Histology and Embryology, University of Pavia, Italy.
Anat Embryol (Berl). 1991;183(5):515-20. doi: 10.1007/BF00186440.
The distribution in oral tissues of endothelin, a multifunctional peptide originally identified within endothelial cells, and subsequently in some epithelial cells, neurons and neuroendocrine cells, has not been investigated yet. We have studied the localization of endothelin-like immunoreactivity in human tooth germ and mature dental pulp by immunohistochemical techniques. Such immunoreactivity was detected only within endothelial cells in both mature dental pulp and developing tooth. Arteries and veins of various sizes as well as small thin vessels displayed endothelin-like immunoreactivity. In the tooth germ, the cells of the enamel organ or the precursors of the odontoblasts were found unreactive. In the mature pulp, no cells of the stroma or nerves displayed endothelin-like immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that vascular endothelium may be the only source of endothelin in human dental tissues. It is tentatively proposed that endothelin released in mature tooth pulp may participate in the regulation of the pulpal blood flow. Although the possible role of endothelin in developing tissues is far from being clear, the mitogenic effects and the proto-oncogenes expression induced by endothelin in some cells raise the possibility that this peptide might also play a role during tooth development.
内皮素是一种最初在内皮细胞中发现、随后在一些上皮细胞、神经元和神经内分泌细胞中也被发现的多功能肽，其在口腔组织中的分布尚未得到研究。我们通过免疫组织化学技术研究了人牙胚和成熟牙髓中内皮素样免疫反应性的定位。在成熟牙髓和发育中的牙齿中，仅在内皮细胞内检测到这种免疫反应性。各种大小的动脉和静脉以及细小的血管都显示出内皮素样免疫反应性。在牙胚中，发现成釉器细胞或成牙本质细胞前体无反应。在成熟牙髓中，基质或神经细胞均未显示内皮素样免疫反应性。这些发现表明，血管内皮可能是人类牙齿组织中内皮素的唯一来源。初步推测，成熟牙髓中释放的内皮素可能参与牙髓血流的调节。尽管内皮素在发育组织中的可能作用尚不清楚，但内皮素在某些细胞中诱导的促有丝分裂作用和原癌基因表达增加了这种肽在牙齿发育过程中也可能发挥作用的可能性。
