Comparative development of mouse tooth germs transplanted in subrenal capsule and oral submucosa

AIM: To compare 2 environments, the subrenal capsule and oral submucosa, for producing well-formed teeth from mouse tooth germs and for exploring the ideal environment for tooth regeneration. METHODS: Two groups were set up. Group A was transplanted with the mouse embronic day (ED) 14.5 first mandibular molar tooth germs into the subrenal capsule, while group B was transplanted with the ED14.5 first mandibular molar tooth germs into the oral submucosa. After 3 weeks and 4 weeks, the host mice were sacrificed, and the transplanted explants were evaluated with morphologic observation, histological structures, hardness and elastictic modulus tests, and chemical compositions. RESULTS: (1) The explants isolated from both environments showed the tooth-like structures, but as to the group B, the crown was smaller, and the shape of the cusps was not significant. (2) HE staining showed that the dentin and enamel in group A were thicker than those in group B in which the ameloblasts and odontoblasts were differentiated not very well. (3) In the test of enamel hardness, only the hardness of 4 weeks in group B was lower than normal mouse tooth. In the test of enamel modulus, the elastic modulus of enamel in 3 weeks of group A was slightly lower than normal mouse tooth, but the difference was not significant.The elastic modulus of enamel in 4 weeks of group A and group B was significantly lower than normal mouse tooth and 3 weeks of group B. The hardness and elastic modulus of dentin in 3 groups was not significant. (4) Raman spectroscopy showed 2 groups grew in harmony in general, they all had the largest peak in the point of 961 cm^-1, but the 3 weeks of group B had an obvious peak in the point of 2 947 cm^-1. CONCLUSION: For the development of ED14.5 tooth germs, we obtain almost the whole tooth in subrenal capsule transplantation after 3 or 4 weeks. The buccal submucosa environment still has a certain influence on the tooth germ development, although there are some differences about the tooth development between this environment and subrenal capsule environment.