Synthesis and distribution of collagen in the rat palate during shelf elevation.

Previous studies have shown that drugs which block the crosslinking of collagen prevent formation of the secondary palate by inhibiting shelf elevation. In this paper, the authors establish that collagen synthesis increases significantly just prior to shelf elevation and that type I collagen is synthesized throughout this developmental period (gestational Days 14–16 in the rat embryo) by isolated shelves in vitro. The largest accumulation of collagen fibers, predominantly oriented in a rostral-caudal plane, was observed adjacent to the basement membrane of the oral palatal epithelium. The unique location and orientation of these collagen fibers suggest that they play a structural role in the elevation of the palate.