OBJECTIVETo study the expression of P63 in human salivary gland development and the existing of salivary gland stem cells.

METHODS24 embryonic salivary gland samples in different stage, 10 normal salivary gland samples were collected. HE-stained and immunochemistry stain were used.

RESULTSIt could be seen on the HE-stained sections that the epithelial buds proliferated to form the epithelial branches and duct systems, finally the terminal cells differentiated into ductal, myoepithelial and acinous. During the development of salivary gland, the expression of P63 was gradually reduced. In normal adult salivary gland samples, the positive cell interspersed in the basal layer of intercalated duct, secretory duct and excretory duct.

CONCLUSIONP63 plays an important role in human salivary gland development. The result of our experiment shows the distributive characteristic of salivary gland stem cells, which exist abroad in bud stage, but decrease and only exist in the basal layer of ducts in normal adult salivary gland.