The effect of incubation temperature on the maintenance of rat palatal mucosa in organ culture

Summary

The effect of incubation temperature on the behavior of neonatal rat palatal mucosa maintained in a chemically defined medium in organ culture for periods up to 7 days was investigated. Explant survival was optimal at 37°C with increasing mortality at temperatures of 34°C and 30°C. There was a transient increase in the epithelial mitotic activity at all temperatures, but at all time intervals mitotic activity was greatest at 37°C. While the mitotic activity at 37°C after 5 hr in vitro was comparable with previously described in vivo values, it was subsequently increased, only returning to values approximating those at the start of the experiment at 6 days. At 30° and 34° C the epithelial mitotic activity increased more slowly than at 37° C; then it followed a similar pattern with time and after 5 days in vitro had fallen to values approximating initial values. At the cut edges of the explants, the rate of epithelial migration and subsequent keratinization increased with increasing temperature. It is suggested that survival of neonatal rat palatal mucosa is optimal in this organ culture system when maintained at 37° C.