Summary
Acid phosphatase was localized in rat incisor ameloblasts without prior decalcification. Whenβ-glycerophosphate was used as the substrate, an intense reaction was observed in the supranuclear region of the secretory ameloblasts. But the reaction was dramatically reduced at the transitional stage and was very weak in the maturation ameloblasts. Whenp-nitrophenylphosphate was the substrate, the reaction product was consistently seen in the Golgi cisternae and the vesicular components of the ameloblasts at all stages of enamel development. These observations suggest that there are two acid phosphatases in ameloblasts. One is in the secretory ameloblasts and the other in the transition and maturation ameloblasts. X-ray micro-analyses for Fe and Pb showed that Fe and acid phosphatase were in the ferritin-containing vesicles at the later stage of enamel maturation. This evidence suggests that ferritin is digested in these vesicles for the release of the Fe pigment to the enamel.
An increase in the number of intercellular bridges between ameloblasts was correlated with the dramatic decrease in height of ameloblasts at the pigment release stage. The ameloblast membranes were acid phosphatase positive at the intercellular bridges whenp-nitrophenylphosphate was the substrate. This activity may be involved in the reduction in the surface area of the ameloblast membranes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pindborg, J.J.: Studies on incisor pigmentation in relation to liver iron and blood picture in the white rat. V. Histochemical demonstration of the imbedding of the pigment in the enamel, Odontol. Tidskr.55:443–446, 1947
Irving, J.T.: Macrophages in the periodontal tissues of rat's incisor teeth, Nature170:573–574, 1952
Stein, G., Boyle, P.E.: Pigmentation of the enamel of albino rat incisor teeth, Arch. Oral Biol.1:97–105, 1959
Reith, E.J.: The enamel organ of the rat's incisor, its histology and pigment, Anat. Rec.133:75–89, 1959
Reith, E.J.: The ultrastructure of ameloblasts during matrix formation and the maturation of enamel, J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol.9:825–839, 1961
Jessen, H.: The morphology and distribution of mitochondria in ameloblasts with special reference to a helix-containing type, J. Ultrastruct. Res.22:120–135, 1968
Kallenbach, E.: Fine structure of rat incisor enamel organ during late pigmentation and regression stages, J. Ultrastruct. Res.30:38–63, 1970
Kallenbach, E.: Fine structure of rat incisor ameloblasts during enamel maturation, J. Ultrastruct. Res.22:90–119, 1968
Takano, Y.: Cytochemical studies of ameloblasts and the surface layer of enamel of the rat incisor at the maturation stage, Arch. Histol. Jpn.42:11–32, 1979
Takano, Y., Ozawa, H.: Ultrastructural and cytochemical observations on the alternating morphologic changes of the ameloblasts at the stage of enamel maturation, Arch. Histol. Jpn. (in press)
Miyayama, H., Solomon, R., Sasaki, M., Lin, Chi-Wei, Fishman, W.H.: Demonstration of lysosomal and extralysosomal sites for acid phosphatase in mouse kidney tubule cells with p-nitrophenylphosphate lead-salt technique, J. Histochem. Cytochem.23:439–451, 1975
Barka, T., Anderson, P.J.: Histochemistry, Theory, Practice, and Bibliography, pp. 239–242. Hoeber, Harper and Row, New York, 1963
Anderson, T.R., Toverud, S.U.: Quantitative studies of acidβ-glycerophosphatase activity in developing rat teeth and bones, Arch. Oral Biol.22:367–374, 1977
Toverud, S.U., Anderson, T.R., Hanks, M.H., Palik, J.F., Young, R.C.-W.: Separation of two acid phosphatases from rat molar tooth buds, J. Dent. Res.58: Special Issue A, 362, 1979 (abst.)
Trump, B.F., Valigorsky, J.M., Arstilia, A.U., Mergner, W.J., Kinney, T.D.: The relationship of intracellular pathways of iron metabolism to cellular iron overload and the iron storage diseases, Am. J. Pathol.72:295–336, 1973
Garant, P.R., Nalbandian, J.: The fine structure of the papillary region of the mouse enamel organ, Arch. Oral Biol.13:1167–1185, 1968
Reith, E.J.: The stages of amelogenesis as observed in molar teeth of young rats, J. Ultrastruct. Res.30:111–151, 1970
Garant, P.R.: The demonstration of complex gap junctions between the cells of the enamel organ with lanthanum nitrate, J. Ultrastruct. Res.40:333–348, 1972
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takano, Y., Ozawa, H. Cytochemical studies on the ferritin-containing vesicles of the rat incisor ameloblasts with special reference to the acid phosphatase activity. Calcif Tissue Int 33, 51–55 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02409412
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02409412