The influence of tissue pretreatment on the immunohistochemical demonstration of type I and III collagens and tenascin in fetal human tooth germs.

The influence of tissue pretreatment on the PAP immunostaining for type I and III collagens and tenascin was studied in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human tooth germs at the 24th and 25th weeks of fetal life. Three variables were considered: the type of buffer used (PBS or Tris), pepsin digestion and the use of normal serum as a blocking agent prior to immunostaining. All three proteins needed an enzymatic digestion to be intensely revealed. Pepsin promoted, even at low concentrations, an intracellular staining of type I collagen in the secretory odontoblasts and in the pulpal fibroblasts. Normal serum partially blocked unspecific immunoreaction when polyclonal rabbit antibodies were used. The Tris buffer increased the staining intensity of the three macromolecules and revealed an unusual tenascin-like immunoreactivity in the ameloblasts. This study demonstrated that pepsin digestion and the use of normal serum and different buffers may influence the immunoreactivity of ECM proteins.