Studies on the Biology of the Periodontium of Marmosets: XI. Histopathologic Manifestations of Spontaneous and Induced Vitamin A Deficiency in the Oral Structures of Adult Marmosets

¹ University of Texas Dental Science Institute, Houston, Texas 77025 USA and Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Histologic studies of the oral structures of adult marmosets with spontaneous and induced vitamin A deficiency revealed that the ductal epithelium of the salivary and lingual glands, and the gingival epithelium, were the prime target sites of the deficiency. The lack of vitamin A produced keratinizing metaplasia of the ductal epithelium and precipitated aberrant epithelialization in the connective tissue compartment of the gingiva.