Arranjo das fibras gengivais transeptais de ratos Wistar: estudo histomorfométrico e histoquímico

Abstract

The transeptal fibers are located in the lamina propria of the gingiva between adjacent teeth. They are often described as a group of collagen fibers embedded in the cementum of one tooth that follows a straight path over the alveolar bone crest and embeds itself in the cementum of the adjacent tooth. In a distinct way, it was reported in the literature that the transeptal fibers are not continuous over its full length but originates from the adjacent teeth interlacing in the central area of the interproximal gingiva. The present study aimed to evaluate and quantitate the gingival transseptal fibers arrangement by histomorphometry and histochemistry of sagittally cut tissue sections of the interdental region between first and second maxilar molar teeth of 12 male Wistar rat. The collagen fibers were stained with Picrosirius red staining and assessed with linear polarized light microscopy, digital image processing and analysis based on Fourier transform measurements and filtering techniques. Histomorphometrical parameters like fiber orientation, area fraction and fractal dimension were measured. The maximal brilliance presented by the fibers was evaluated using intensity histogram measurements. These quantitative parameters were compared among three different regions of interest along the length of the interdental gingiva using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni’s or Tamhane’s T2 post hoc tests. There was an increase (p < 0.05) in area fraction and fractal dimension parameters in the central region compared to regions near the teeth, and no difference in the orientation and maximal brilliance of fibers among the tree regions. Our results quantitative demonstrated a denser arrangement of the fibers in the central region reinforcing the model of an interlacement of the transseptal fibers in that region.