Establishment of cultivating technology of dental follicle cells of rat and their identifying

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for culturing dental follicle cells of rat and observe the growth characteristics of the cultured cells in vitro. METHODS: Dental follicle and associated enamel organs were dissected from the first and second mandibular molars of 6-7-day-old rats, and then cultured in vitro. Purified dental follicle cells derived from the third or the fourth passage cells were utilized in the following experiments. The shape and ultrastructure of dental follicle cells were observed by light-microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Immunocytochemistry was used to detect the expression of vimentin, type I collagen and fibronectin. RESULTS: The cultured cells were fibroblastic in shape, elongate with processes, and transmission electron microscopy revealed that they contained electron-dense granules, an abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, but did not form desmosomes. Vimentin, type I collagen and fibronectin were present in dental follicle cell. CONCLUSION: The dental follicle cells of rat could be successfully cultured in vitro and the cultured cells had the same characteristics of dental follicle cells of normal rat.