ENaMEl MORphOlOgICal ChaNgEs aND CyTO- kERaTIN 14 DIsTRIbUTION IN aMElOblasTs Of DIabETIC RaTs’ MaNDIbUlaR INCIsOR

. AbstrAct Complications of diabetes mellitus that affect the different body organs represent an increasing threat because of the increasing prevalence of this condition worldwide. As rodent incisors are continuously growing teeth that include all stages of amelogenesis, they could be used as a model for the effect of diabetes on tooth development. In the present experimental study, we analyzed the ameloblasts and the enamel surface of the mandibular incisors of rats with Streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Materials and Methods: Groups consisted of 30 streptozotocin induced diabetic albino rat and 15 controls in which sterile saline solution was administered instead of streptozotocin. The enamel surface of the rats’ mandibular incisor was analyzed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The ameloblasts were examined histollogically by the light microscope and immunohistochemically by Cytokeratin 14 (K14) detection. Results: By SEM the enamel surface showed variable degrees of hypoplasia ranging from mild to severe hypoplasia. By the light microscopy, the ameloblasts demonstrated shrinkage, cytoplasmic vacuolization and smaller nuclei than those of the control group. There was also widening of the intercellular spaces. In addition, the immunohistochemical staining pattern for K14 was altered in ameloblasts of the diabetic rats. Conclusions: Diabetes may have a detrimental influence on the function of ameloblasts in laying down enamel causing morphological changes in enamel and suggesting a reduction in secretion and mineralization.