First published online January 31, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 628-641 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02683
Pushing the limit: masticatory stress and adaptive plasticity in mammalian craniomandibular joints
Matthew J. Ravosa1,*,
Ravinder Kunwar2,
Stuart R. Stock3 and
M. Sharon Stack1
1 Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri
School of Medicine, M263 Medical Sciences Building, One Hospital Drive
DC055.07, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
2 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
3 Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry,
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL,
USA

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Fig. 1. MicroCT analysis of symphyseal (A) and TMJ (B) structure in rabbits. (A)
Tracing of a coronal section of the middle joint site. In each of five coronal
sections, biomineralization levels were evaluated with computer assisted image
analysis at five equidistant points along the articular surface (arrows) and
four equidistant points along the lateral, superior and inferior cortical bone
regions (arrowheads). Symphysis height and width also were quantified (not
shown). (B) Tracing of the coronal section of the middle condylar site. In
each of three coronal sections, bone-density levels were evaluated with
computer-assisted image analysis at five equidistant points along the
articular surface (arrowheads), four equidistant subchondral bone locations
below the condylar articular cartilage (circles) and three equidistant points
along each side of the condylar neck below the articular surface (arrows).
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Fig. 2. Symphyseal cortical bone thickness. Coronal sections of `middle' joint
sites from U-diet (A) and O-diet (B) subadult rabbits obtained via
microCT. Comparisons of three size-adjusted measures of internal joint
proportions indicate that O-diet rabbits develop significantly thicker
cortical bone along the superior, lateral and articular surfaces of the
symphysis (red lines with double arrowheads) (see
Table 2).
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Fig. 3. Symphyseal proteoglycan content. Coronal sections (6 µm) of `middle'
joint sites from U-diet (A) and O-diet (B) subadults stained with Safranin O
to identify GAG content in the FC pad. In the high-power views of the ventral
joint with the FC pad, darker staining in A vs B indicates lower
proteoglycan content and thus decreased FC pad viscoelasticity in O-diet
rabbits. In B note also the corresponding development of bony rugosities
(`blue' bone, nearly completely traversing the `red' FC pad).
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Fig. 4. TMJ proteoglycan content. Coronal sections (6 µm) of middle joint sites
from U-diet (A) and O-diet (B) 4-month old subadults were stained with
Safranin O to identify GAG content in the articular cartilage. In low-power
views of the articular surface and underlying subchondral bone, more intense
staining in A vs B indicates lower proteoglycan content and thus
diminished articular cartilage viscoelasticity in O-diet rabbits.
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Fig. 5. Symphyseal type II collagen. Coronal sections (6 µm) of the `middle'
joint site in 4-month old U-diet (A) and O-diet (B) subadults stained with a
primary antibody directed against type II collagen. In the high-power views of
the ventral joint, darker staining in the FC pad of A vs B
demonstrates less type II collagen and thus lower viscoelasticity in O-diet
rabbits.
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Fig. 6. TMJ type II collagen. Coronal sections (6 µm) of middle sites in 4-month
old U-diet (A) and O-diet (B) subadults were stained with a primary antibody
directed against type II collagen. In the low-power views of the articular
cartilage and subchondral bone, more intense staining of TMJ articular
cartilage in A vs B indicates less type II collagen and thus
diminished viscoelasticity in O-diet rabbits.
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Fig. 7. Symphyseal apoptosis. Coronal sections (6 µm) of `middle' joint sites
from U-diet (A) and O-diet (B) subadults tunel stained to identify fragmented
DNA of apoptotic chondrocytes in the FC pad. In the high-power views of the
ventral joint with the FC pad, O-diet rabbits exhibit numerous apoptotic
chondrocytes vs U-diet rabbits (red arrows).
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Fig. 8. TMJ apoptosis. Coronal sections (6 µm) of middle joint sites from U-diet
(A) and O-diet (B) 4-month old subadults were tunel stained to identify
cellular apoptosis in articular cartilage. In high-power views of the
articular surface and subchondral bone, O-diet rabbits exhibit elevated
chondrocyte apoptosis vs U-diet rabbits (red
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2007