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Figure 3. Immunostaining of CP in human periodontal tissues. (A) Longitudinal section of a human tooth. Cementoid surface is strongly stained. Open vascular channels and endosteal spaces in alveolar bone are positive (arrowheads and arrow, respectively). (B) Transverse section of a human tooth shows both cementoid and bone endosteal spaces stained positive. (C) A few periodontal ligament cells are positive as well as cementoblasts lining the cellular cementum. Cells located adjacent to the periodontal ligament blood vessels are strongly positive (arrowhead). A cementocyte with cytoplasmic elongations localized within the cellular cementum is shown to be positive (arrow). (D,E) Colony-like cell formation (possibly pre-cementoblasts) in the vicinity of blood vessels (arrow). (F) Cells surrounding endosteal spaces in alveolar bone cross-reacted strongly to anti-CP antibody. (G) Cementocytes inside the cementum matrix are positive. (H) Higher magnification of strongly labeled cementocytes showing cytoplasmic processes interconnecting them. (I) Cementoblasts just becoming embedded in the cementum matrix cross-reacted more strongly than periodontal ligament cells and pre-cementoblasts. (J) Acellular cementum was strongly stained with anti-CP antibody. (K) Control using pre-immune rabbit serum was negative. Histological H & E-stained sections show longitudinal aspects of periodontal structures: open vascular channels (arrowheads), endosteal spaces in alveolar bone (arrow) (L), a cementocyte, and periodontal ligament blood vessel (M). Cells representing pre-cementoblasts located in the vicinity of periodontal ligament blood vessels (N), and a cementoblast becoming embedded in cementum matrix (arrowhead) (O).
