Autoradiographic evaluation of circadian periodicity in cell proliferation in the periodontal ligament of the young mouse.

Five-week-old BNL male mice were maintained on a 12-h light/dark cycle, subcutaneously injected with [3H]-thymidine 1 h before death and killed every 3 h for 24 h. Autoradiographs were made from demineralized, paraffin-wax embedded sagittal sections of maxillae. The labelling index was calculated for fibroblast-like cells of the periodontal ligament mesial to the first molar. A bimodal distribution of labelled cells was seen. Labelling index was highest at 0900 h (light period); a second, lower, peak was seen at 2400 h (dark period). Cell proliferation was significantly increased during the light period. The increased activity during the dark period may represent a superimposed secondary, ultradian, rhythm, differences in periodontal cell subtypes or may be related to the feeding and activity cycle of the mouse. Thus there is a 24-h cyclic rhythmicity in the proliferation of periodontal-ligament cells in the mouse.