POLYSACCHARIDE DETECTION FOLLOWING DECALCIFICATION: POLYSACCHARIDE HISTOCHEMISTRY FOLLOWING THE TREATMENT WITH ALCOHOL CONTAINING DECALCIFYING SOLUTIONS IN DENTAL GERMS AND ORAL EPITHELIA

A histochemical comparison was made of the demonstration of polysaccharides in dental germs and oral epithelia after a treatment with acid containing alcoholic decalcifying solutions. Decalcifying solutions were prepared with 5% acids (HCL, HCOOH, HNO3, trichloracetic acid, ethylendiamin tetracetate) in a 30 or 50% alcohol solution.1. The oral epithelium of fetal animals showed a large amount of glycogen. Glycogen of the fetal oral epithelium showed a good preservation after a treatment with acid containing alcoholic decalcifying solutions (except for the case of trichloracetic acid). No differences in the appearance of glycogen in the oral epithelium were observed between 30% and 50% alcohol decalcifying solutions.2. Nuclear staining was observed by the periodic acid-SCHIFF reaction after a treatment with acid containing decalcifying solutions. The use of HCL, HNO3, trichloracetic acid in decalcification resulted staining of the nucleus in various intensities.3. The treatment with acid containing alcohol decalcifying agents without ethylendiamin tetracetate resulted in the decalcification of the jaws of fetal dogs and rats, but almost no-decalcification in the knee joints of 4 day to 4 week post natal rats.4. The presence of glycogen in the developing tooth germs was rather low in comparison with the oral epithelium which was abundant in glycogen. The distribution patterns of glycogen in dental germ were the same as in the previous reports.