A comparative physiological and morphological study of periodontal ligament mechanoreceptors represented in the trigeminal ganglion and the mesencephalic nucleus of the cat

Abstract

A correlative morphological study was carried out on two electrophysiologically identified and located periodontal ligament mechanoreceptors in anaesthetised cats. One mechanoreceptor had its cell body in the mesencephalic nucleus and the other had its cell body in the trigeminal ganglion. Physiological recordings were made from each of their cell bodies. The two receptors were located by punctate and electrical stimuli in the labial aspect of the periodontal ligament of the left mandibular canine tooth. Both receptors had similar positions relative to the tooth apex and fulcrum and were situated in the labial part of the ligament in each tooth. The receptor loci were marked, and these regions were studied in a series of semi-thin and ultra-thin sections. Only Ruffini nerve endings were observed under each ink mark. Both Ruffini nerve endings branched, were unencapsulated and were incompletely surrounded by terminal Schwann cells with extensions projecting towards collagen bundles. The results indicate that periodontal ligament mechanoreceptors with cell bodies in the mesencephalic nucleus and those with their cell bodies in the trigeminal ganglion can both be Ruffini nerve endings. Furthermore, there was no apparent morphological difference between the two periodontal ligament mechanoreceptors.