Microvascular architecture of the enamel organ of the upper major incisor in the rabbit.

The ultrastructure of the ameloblasts in the rabbit major incisor was investigated previously by Okada (1983) and the amelogenetic process was classified into six zones/stages. The present paper deals with changes in the microvascular architecture and ultrastructure of the blood capillaries in proportion to the amelogenetic process in the upper major incisor of the rabbit utilizing the acryl plastic injection method. Three different vascular layers were observed in the periodontal spaces of the major incisor of the rabbit. The inner vascular network consisted of a capillary network supplying the enamel organ and its meshes have vigorously changed during the amelogenesis. The capillary network was observed to be in the shape of a ladder with a continuous wall in the proliferation zone, to appear as round meshes with a fenestrated wall in the differentiation zone, as polygonal meshes with abundant fenestrations in the secretion zone, as ovoid meshes with fenestrations in the early maturation zone, and finally as coarse and avoid meshes with a continuous wall again in the late maturation and regression zones. In the intermediate layer, arterioles and venules were located close to the capillary network, and the arterioles were derived from the short and long branches of the anterior superior alveolar artery. In the outer layer, a sinusoid network was observed to be in contact with the alveolar wall and received blood from the capillary network as well as venous vessels in the alveolar bone. The ladder-shaped capillary network mentioned above was thought to represent an intermediate form towards the succeeding zone, in which the round meshes may be suitable for supplying the nutrient elements that are needed in the differentiation of the inner enamel epithelial cells. The polygonal and ovoid meshes may be favorable for the transport of various necessary metabolic materials that are involved in the enamel ground substance formation and calcium deposition within a very short period.