Action of 5-bromodeoxyuridine on tooth germs "in vitro." I. - Effects on cytodifferentiation.

Sixteen or eighteen day old mouse embryonic first lower molars were treated with 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) in vitro. --In 16-day old tooth germs cytodifferentiation of both odontoblasts and ameloblasts was inhibited. This inhibition was reversible. --In 18-day old tooth germs, the odontoblasts localized at the top of the principal cusps (post-mitotic cells) differentiated normally and secreted predentin. In these conditions ameloblasts localized in front of functional odontoblasts differentiated, although they were able to incorporate BrdU. --In others experiments, control and BrdU-treated tooth germs were dissociated into enamel organs and pulps. Cultivated associations between either control or BrdU treated pulps with either control or BrdU treated enamel organs were analyzed. It appeared that the primary effect of BrdU might result in its incorporation in the preameloblasts which were no longer able to interact normally with the preodontoblasts.