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ToxSci Advance Access published online on July 29, 2008
Toxicological Sciences, doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfn156
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Tributyltin impairs dentin mineralization and enamel formation in cultured mouse embryonic molar teeth

Eija Salmela*,1, Carin Sahlberg*, Satu Alaluusua*,{dagger} and Pirjo-Liisa Lukinmaa{ddagger},§

* Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland {dagger} Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland {ddagger} Department of Oral Pathology, Institute of Dentistry, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland § Department of Pathology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

carin.sahlberg{at}helsinki.fi; satu.alaluusua{at}helsinki.fi; pirjo-liisa.lukinmaa{at}helsinki.fi

1 Corresponding author. Biomedicum Helsinki, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, PO Box 63, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland, Tel +358 9 1912 5199, Fax +358 9 1912 5371, e-mail address: eija.peltonen{at}helsinki.fi

Received May 16, 2008; revision received July 22, 2008; accepted July 23, 2008


  Abstract

Tributyltin (TBT), earlier used as an antifouling agent in marine paints, causes damage to the aquatic ecosystem, e.g. impaired shell calcification in oysters. TBT affects hard tissue mineralization even in mammals: delayed bone mineralization has been observed in rodents exposed to TBT in utero. To see if TBT interferes with tooth development, especially dental hard tissue formation, we exposed mouse E18 mandibular first and second molars to 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 [mu]M TBT chloride in organ culture for 7-12 days. The amount of enamel was assessed and the sizes of the first molars were measured from photographs taken after the culture. TBT concentration dependently impaired enamel formation (P < 0.001) and reduced tooth size (P < 0.001). Histological analysis showed slight arrest of dentin mineralization and enamel formation in first molars exposed to 0.1 [mu]M TBT. At the concentration of 1.0 [mu]M the effect was overt. The differentiation of ameloblasts in the mesial cusps was retarded but TBT had no effect on odontoblast morphology. The dental epithelium showed enhanced apoptosis. The failure of ameloblasts to form enamel was likely to be secondary to the effect of TBT on dentin mineralization. In the second molars, where predentin deposition had not started, ameloblasts and odontoblasts were non-polarized and proliferative. The results showed that TBT concentration dependently impairs dental hard tissue formation and reduces tooth size in cultured mouse embryonic molars. The effects depend on the stage of tooth development at the start of exposure and may involve epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.

Key Words: Tributyltin; Tooth development; Dentin mineralization; Enamel; Apoptosis; Mouse.


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