ELASTASE +/- SOYBEAN TRYPSIN-INHIBITOR DISSOCIATION OF RAT ORAL-MUCOSA - ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND OXIDATIVE METABOLIC DESTRUCTIVE CHANGES IN ISOLATED, EPITHELIAL AND DERMAL MITOCHONDRIA AFTER DISSOCIATION

[摘要] Epithelial and connective tissue compartments of rat oral mucosa were dissociated after incubation with elastase .+-. soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI). Elastase + SBTI induced greater ultrastructural damage within the dissociated compartments than elastase alone. The basal lamina remained with the epithelial layer after elastase separation and was destroyed after exposure to elastase + SBTI. Isolated epithelial mitochondria were more severely damaged ultrastructurally after elastase + SBTI separation of the compartment than those prepared after exposure to elastase alone. Isolated fibroblast mitochondria were damaged to the same extent after dissociation of the compartment with the 2 media. Oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial recoveries declined significantly after exposure to the 2 dissociating media. Cytochrome oxidase activity was significantly greater than succinic cytochrome c reductase in the control and experimental groups. Oxidative metabolism was significantly greater in the connective tissue compartment than the epithelial compartment after dissociation of immature rat oral mucosa. Caution should apparently be utilized in assessing cellular viability and oxidative metabolism in tissue compartments immediately after their dissociation by proteolytic enzymes.