[Study on the molecular mechanism of lingual epithelial cell apotosis and its related genes in different tongue furs].
To investigate the molecular mechanism ot lingual epithelial cell (LEC) apoptosis and its related genes expression in different tongue furs. The LEC apoptosis and its related genes expression including bax, fas, TGF-beta 3 mRNA and protein product in tongue fur was determined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling technique (TUNEL), in situ hybridization, immunohistochemical technique and image analysis. LEC apoptosis could always be seen in 4 types commonly encountered tongue fur. The tendency of changing in thickness of tongue fur was opposite to that of apoptotic index. Compared with normal thin fur, bax and fas genes were over-expressed in exfoliative fur with increased apoptosis, while in thick fur, bax and TGF-beta 3 genes were low-expressed and accompanied with decreased apoptosis. The level of apoptosis promoting genes, bax, fas, TGF-beta 3 gene expression in LEC showed a tendency parallel to that of LEC apoptosis. Change of apoptosis related genes expression, bax, fas and TGF-beta 3 may effect the LEC apoptosis and be the important factor for changing of the thickness of tongue fur.