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An in vitro model of human oral explants to study early effects of radiation mucositis
Author(s) -
Donetti Elena,
Bedoni Marzia,
Capone Paolo,
Gualerzi Alice,
Tartaglia Gianluca,
Sforza Chiarella
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
european journal of oral sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.802
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1600-0722
pISSN - 0909-8836
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.2009.00614.x
Subject(s) - desmoglein 3 , mucositis , oral mucosa , desmoglein 1 , pathology , in vitro , keratinocyte , medicine , desmoglein , andrology , chemistry , radiation therapy , immunology , antibody , autoantibody , disease , autoimmune disease , biochemistry
Mucositis is a frequent problem after irradiation of the oral mucosa. To study the early effects of irradiation on the desmosomal adhesion complex, explants of keratinized oral mucosa were exposed to a single dose of 2 Gy gamma irradiation. Biopsies were obtained from the upper dental arch of nine young healthy non‐smoking women undergoing minor oral surgery. The biopsies were incubated in a Transwell culture system and, after irradiation, fixed in formalin 24 h later. Morphometric measurements of epithelial thickness revealed that it was unaffected by exposure to ionizing rays. Immunofluorescence analysis of desmosomal cadherin expression (desmoglein 1/desmoglein 3) demonstrated that the distribution of desmoglein 1 was not affected, whereas the expression of desmoglein 3 decreased in the suprabasal layers of irradiated samples. It is suggested that this has consequences for the mechanical integrity of the mucosa and promotes the development of radiation mucositis.