[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

endings, never in their axons. In experimental group, transection to inferior alveolar nerve
induces a disappearance of GDNF in the cellular elements of the periodontal ligament. At
postoperative day 14 when the terminal branches became thick and expanded, a few terminal
Schwann cells became positive for GDNF-immunoreaction. At postoperative day 28,
immunoexpression pattern and number of the terminal Schwann cells with GDNFimmunoreaction
returned to those in non-surgery group. An analysis with real time PCR showed
a remarkable elevation of GDNF mRNA at 14 days post-operation. However, immunoexpression
pattern of GDNF-immunoreaction did not differ in the trigeminal between non-surgery and
experimental groups; it was localized in the satellite cells, not in the trigeminal neurons
throughout the experimental period. These findings indicated that GDNF might be involved in
the regeneration of the periodontal Ruffini endings at maturation stage.
Disclosures: M. Oishi, None; S. Wakisaka , None; F. Harada, None; T. Maeda, None.
Poster
271. Mechanoreceptors
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 271.4/HH23
Topic: D.09.a. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of transduction
Support: JSPS Grant 20390464
Title: Immunolocalization of Caveolin-1 and Ca 2+ -ATPase in the periodontal Ruffini endings
Authors: A. SUZUKI, K. NOZAWA-INOUE, Y. KAWANO, H. AJIMA, *T. MAEDA;
Dept Oral Anat, Niigata Univ. Grad Sch. Med. Dent., Niigata 951-8514, Japan
Abstract: Caveolae are omega-shaped plasmalemmal invaginations which play a role in clathrin
independent endocytosis, trancytosis, signal transduction, and tumor suppression which depend
on their main constituent proteins caveolin family. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) has been considered as a
biochemical marker for caveolae because of its localization in most cells and the absence of
caveolae formation in Cav-1 deficient mice. The Ruffini ending, a low-threshold type II stretch
receptor, is a primary mechanoreceptor in the periodontal ligament. Ultrastructural investigations
have reported that this mechanoreceptor develops caveolae on the cell membrane of both the
axon terminals and Schwann sheaths, suggesting the existence of axon-Schwann cell interaction
in the periodontal Ruffini endings. However, little information is available for the functional
significance of these caveolae. The present study was undertaken to examine immunolocalization
of Cav-1, -3 and Ca 2+ -ATPase (PMCA) in the periodontal Ruffini endings of the rat incisor for
clarifying the role of caveola-like structures in mechanotransduction. Decalcified sections of the