ABSTRACT
To investigate the effects of estrogen deficiency on odontoblast metabolism, we induced osteoporosis in rats by ovariectomy and examined the glycosylation of the matrix component in odontoblasts. Peanut agglutinin (PNA) lectin histochemistry, which detects D-galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine sugars, was conducted in incisor odontoblasts of ovariectomized (OVX) and sham-operated (sham) rats. At 5 wk after the operation, bone mineral density and serum level of estrogen in OVX rats were lower than those in sham rats. PNA binding sites were found in the odontoblasts in incisors, and the binding sites in OVX rats were much stronger than those in sham rats. Furthermore, PNA binding sites were localized at the predentin matrix in OVX rats, but the reaction in sham rats was not detected. Because D-galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine sugars bound to PNA are important constituents of proteoglycans in dentin matrix and the PNA binding sites reflect the proteoglycan production of odontoblasts, these results indicated that galactosyl glycosylation of proteoglycans in odontoblasts is influenced by estrogen deficiency in rat incisors.