A continuous-flow culture system for organ culture of large explants of adult tissue: effect of oxygen tension on mouse molar periodontium.

A modified continuous-flow culture system (CFCS) was developed to maintain large explants of periodontium from adult mouse in organ culture. The culture medium was stored in a reservoir outside of the incubator, pumped via polyvinyl tubing into small glass culture chambers that were placed in the oxygenator and then collected in a waste flask. Medium was analyzed for pO2, pCO2 and pH during the culture period. Three-molar and single-molar explants of periodontium were maintained for 48 hr in the CFCS at two different pO2 ranges: 100 to 120 mm Hg and 400 to 420 mm Hg. [3H]Proline was added 24 hr prior to sacrifice. Light-microscope morphological and radioautographic observations suggested that cell viability and incorporation of [3H]proline, probably into newly synthesized protein, increased with an increase in pO2 and was related to a pO2 gradient extending from the periphery to the center of the explants.