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Structure and composition of the oral mucous membrane on the lips and cheeks of the monkey, Macaca fascicularis

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Summary

In seven monkeys (6 Macaca fascicularis, 1 M. mulatta; 2.4±0.6 kg in weight) the labial and buccal mucosae were studied morphologically and quantitatively. Following fixation by perfusion, the upper and lower lips and entire cheeks were dissected free and processed for light-, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Established programs (HISTOMEP, MUMANA II) and appropriate morphometric techniques were used to estimate, at the light-microscopic level, the epithelial thickness, the width of the combined lamina propria/submucosa, and the volumetric composition of the gland-containing portions of lip and cheek mucosae. The cheek epithelium was more than twofold thicker than the lip epithelium, on the average 0.46±0.04 and 0.21±0.02 mm, respectively, with no differences related to sex or topographical sites. The combined lamina propria/submuscosa was 1.32 ±0.19 and 1.50±0.26 mm in width in cheeks and lips, respectively. The main mucosal constituents at both sites were glandular and connective tissue, and lymph follicles associated with secretory ducts. In lips, the volume of plasma cells around gland acini correlated positively with the amount of lymphoid tissue present around topographically related ducts. It is suggested that the duct/ lymph follicle assembly may serve as a local antigen-recognition system.

Zusammenfassung

Die Lippen- und Wangenmukosa wurde an 7 Affen (6 M. fascicularis, 1 M. mulatta; 2,4±0,6 kg schwer) morphologisch und quantitativ untersucht. Nach einer Perfusionsfixation wurden Ober- und Unterlippen sowie ganze Wangen herauspräpariert und für Untersuchungen im Licht-, Raster und Transmissionselektronenmikroskop vorbereitet. Bestehende Programme (HISTOMEP, MUMANA II) und morphometrische Standardmethoden wurden verwendet, um lichtmikroskopisch die Epitheldicke, die Breite der kombinierten Lamina propria/Submukosa und die volumetrische Zusammensetzung der drüsenhaltigen Abschnitte der Lippen- und Wangenschleimhaut zu ermitteln. Das Wangenepithel war mehr als zweifach dicker als das Lippenepithel (0,46±0,04 und 0,21±0,02mm); die Epitheldicke war unabhängig von Geschlecht und Topographie. Die kombinierte Lamina propria/ Submukosa war im Wangenbereich 1,32±0,19, im Lippenbereich 1,50± 0,26 mm breit. Die Hauptelemente der Lippen- und Wangenschleimhaut sind Drüsen- und Bindegewebe sowie mit Ausführungsgängen assoziierte Lymphfollikel. In der Lippen-, nicht aber in der Wangenschleimhaut, ist das Volumen der die Drüsenacini umlagernden Plasmazellen positiv korreliert mit der Menge der Lymphfollikel an den benachbarten Ausführungsgängen. Es wird vermutet, daß das Ausführungsgang/Lymphfollikel-System zur lokalen Erkennung von Antigenen dienen könnte.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Structural Biology, Dental Institute, University of Zürich, Switzerland

    Hubert E. Schroeder & Annemarie Dörig-Schwarzenbach

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  1. Hubert E. Schroeder
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  2. Annemarie Dörig-Schwarzenbach
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Schroeder, H.E., Dörig-Schwarzenbach, A. Structure and composition of the oral mucous membrane on the lips and cheeks of the monkey, Macaca fascicularis . Cell Tissue Res. 224, 89–104 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217269

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