Maturation In Rabbit Research Articles

Dimensional changes associated with enamel maturation in rabbits

45Ca and 90Sr were used to demonstrate the uptake of minerals during the formation of rabbit enamel. The resulting autoradiographs showed that the uptake of calcium was restricted to the immature stages of development and that there was no further uptake during maturation; i.e. maturation was a change of state involving materials that had been accumulated in the matrix beforehand. Maturation was accompanied by loss of volume. There was immediate contraction on maturation leading to distortion of the enamel rods, and a more gradual loss of width, and therefore volume, as the ageing enamel was carried towards the mouth. Overall shrinkage was of the order of 8 per cent. The result would be a rise in mineral ratios from areas that had calcified recently towards those that calcified first. Such gradients have been described on several occasions and could arise without the original mineral content being increased in any way.