DENSE-CORED VESICLES IN HUMAN DENTAL MACROPHAGE-LIKE PULPAL CELLS

In the human dental pulp of five healthy premolars, we detected the pr esence of vesicles in the cytoplasm of macrophage-like cells. There we re, in general, two types of vesicles, with regard to their size and c ontent. The first was of smaller size (35 to 55 nm), and they were ele ctron optically empty. The second type included larger vesicles (100 t o 150 nm) presenting a heavily and homogeneously osmiophilic dense cor e. Their overall morphology was strikingly similar to the well-known, dense-cored vesicles of the sympathetic and neuroendocrine systems. Th is morphological evidence may be considered as an adjunctive support f or the neural crest derivation of the dental pulp.