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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Oct 16.
Published in final edited form as: Periodontol 2000. 2016 Oct;72(1):19–29. doi: 10.1111/prd.12127

Fig. 2. Cementum volume increases with age.

Fig. 2

(A) Pentachrome staining of a representative tissue section from the maxillary M1 of a 4-month-old mouse; cellular cementum around the apex is detectable (asterisks). (B) Equivalent tissue section from the maxillary M1 of a 12-month-old mouse; note the abundant cementum around the entire roots, the decreased volume of the pulp cavity, and the abraded crown. (C) High magnification of pentachrome-stained acellular cementum from the maxillary M1 of a 4-month-old mouse; the dotted white line showed the smooth interface of the periodontal ligament and cementum; a thin blue-green stained acellular cementum layer is obvious between the periodontal ligament and dentin. (D) Proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry staining shows proliferating cells in the periodontal ligament space; dotted white line as in C. (E) High magnification of an equivalent tissue section from the maxillary M1 of a 12-month-old mouse; the dotted white line showed the irregular periodontal ligament-cementum interface; note the thick acellular cementum layer between the periodontal ligament and dentin. (F) proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining from the maxillary M1 of a 12-month-old mouse; dotted white line as in E. (G) Robust proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining from the middle root of the maxillary incisor of a 4-month-old mouse and (H) a 9-month-old mouse. (I) A 9-month-old and (J) a 12-month-old mouse, showing accumulated cellular cementum; arrows indicate trapped periodontal ligament cells in the extracellular matrix of the cellular cementum. (K) Alkaline phosphatase staining from apical area of the maxillary M1 of a 12-month-old mouse; note strong alkaline phosphatase activity on the alveolar bone surface and cementum surface within the narrow periodontal ligament. (L) TRAP staining from the same apical area of a 12-month-old mouse; minimum TRAP positive cells exist on the alveolar bone surface. (M) Three-dimensional reconstruction from the micro-computed tomography of mandible incisors of a 4-month-old mouse; note the labial-lingual diameter of the incisor (green arrow). (N) Three-dimensional reconstruction from the micro-computed tomography of the mandible incisors of a 24-month-old mouse; note the widened the labial-lingual diameter of the incisor (red arrow), and the incisor crown wear. (O) Coronal micro-computed tomography section through the young mouse mandible at the level the purple line indicated in (P). (P) Sagittal micro-computed tomography section of the young mouse. Purple line indicates the level of (O). (Q) Similar coronal micro-computed tomography section through the aged mouse mandible at the level the purple line indicated in (R). (R) Sagittal micro-computed tomography section of the aged mouse. Purple line indicated the level of (Q). (S) High magnification of the coronal section of the level as (O) showed; note the thickness of the labial-lingual diameter (green arrow). (T) High magnification of the same coronal level; note increased thickness of the incisor (red arrow). Abbreviations: ab, alveolar bone; ac, acellular cementum; cc, cellular cementum; M1, first molar; PDL, periodontal ligament; proliferating cell nuclear antigen, proliferating cell nuclear antigen; ALP, alkaline phosphatase; TRAP, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase. Scale bars: 50µm in the tissue sections; 0.5mm in the micro-computed tomography sections.