Blood Flow and Epithelial Thickness in Different Regions of Feline Oral Mucosa and Skin

The relationship between epithelial thickness and blood flow was examined in 6 mucosal and 3 skin regions of the cat. Blood flow to these tissues was determined using the radiolabelled microsphere method. From histologic sections the proportion of the tissue biopsy occupied by epithelium and the average epithelial thickness were calculated. The oral tissues had a significantly higher blood flow than the skin regions (p less than 0.05). In terms of epithelial thickness, the tissues could be divided into 4 groups (p less than 0.05). These were: a) palate; b) gingival regions and dorsum of the tongue; c) lip and buccal mucosa; d) all skin regions. When epithelial thickness was related to blood flow there was a significant positive correlation (p less than 0.005) indicating that a thicker epithelium is associated with a higher blood flow. This finding may reflect the greater metabolic demands of the thicker epithelia.