Studies on Growth and Adhesion Characteristics of Junctional Epithelium cells

Objectives: To establish culture method and to study growth and adhesion characteristics of junctional epithelium (JE) cells. Methods: The JE biopsies were derived from human extraction teeth due to the orthodontic reason. Cold digestion (dispase) was used to isolate epithelium layer and lamina propria, and then epithelium was scissor, digested with 0.25 trypsase-0.02 EDTA. Cells were cultured in DKGM, observed by phase contract microscope. The co-culture model of JE cell-tooth was built up by adding decalcification cementum slices (5„‡3„‡1mm) into sterile plate containing 2 ml of JE cells (5„‡10 5/ml), incubated in 5% CO2 at 37 °C for 1-14days, observed adhesive apparatus under translator electron microscope. The same method of gingival epithelium (GE) cells was used as control. Results: The JE cells were polymorphous cells, the karyokinetic phase common, CK19 strong staining, while GE colony was consisted of epithelial-like cells in a paving stone arrangement, CK19 only straining in a few cells. The latent period of JE cells was longer (7days) than that of GE (3days), the subculture times of JE cells were less (5 passages) than that of GE (7 passages). There were a few cells in JE-slice co-culture at 1-3days, electron dense plaques along the JE cell attached the slice surface were observed at 9days, and 2-3 layer JE cells and hemidesmosome-like structure formed at 11-14days, while there were more attachment cells in GE-slice co-culture at 1-3days, electron dense plaques appeared at 7days, stratifiede pithelium and hemidesmosome-like structure .at 9 days. Conclusions: The cultured JE cells are a kind of unique epithelial cells different from GE cells. Under the same condition the attachment and growth of JE cells on the cementum slice surface are slower than that of GE cells. * This study was supported by grant 30471886 from National Natural Scientific Foundation.