Movement of fibroblasts in the periodontal ligament of the mouse incisor is related to eruption.

Movement of fibroblasts in the periodontal ligament of the lower incisor of the mouse was studied by pulse-labeling with tritiated thymidine and proline. 3H-Thymidine was administered to mark the nuclei of the cells in the proliferative compartment near the basal end of the tooth; 3H-proline gave rise to a narrow band of radioactivity in the dentin, which served as a reference line for measurement of eruption. One or three weeks after injection in each animal, the lower right incisor was prevented from further eruption by being pinned to its alveolar process. The animals were killed 0, 1, or 2 weeks later, and their mandibles processed for LM-radioautography. It was found that in the left incisors, which were not inhibited in their eruption, labeled cells in the tooth-half of the periodontal ligament moved incisally at a rate similar to the eruption rate. In the pinned incisors, no further incisal migration could be established. It is concluded that fibroblast migration in the tooth-half of the ligament is strictly coupled to the eruptive process.