Abstract
It is easily conceived that occlusal alteration may be responsible for the onset or progression of temporomandibular disorders, but its exact role is still unknown. In this study using rats, Immunohistochemical changes of mandibular condylar cartilage after teeth extraction were examined.
Unilateral upper molars of rats were extracted, and temporomandibular joints were resected at intervals of 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after resection. The tissues were fixed with paraformaldehyde, embedded in paraffin after decalcification with EDTA, and then serial sections were prepared for Immunohistochemical examination of types I, II, and X collagen, chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S), chondroitin 6-sulfate (C6S), keratan sulfate (KS), and dermatan sulfate proteglycan (DSPG).
In the rats, stainability for types I, II, and X collagen, C4S, KS, and DSPG were stronger, whereas that for C6S was weaker, than in the control. These findings confirmed that occlusal alteration causes changes in extracellular matrix components of the mandibular condylar cartilage.
