title: Age-associated changes in decorin in rat mandibular condylar cartilage.
abstract: The small proteoglycan decorin strongly binds the fibrils of collagen types I and II; this interaction is thought to play a part in the maintenance of tissue integrity and biomechanical properties. In limb articular cartilage, there is evidence that decorin synthesis increases with age and that it is elevated in response to increased loading or in osteoarthritic cartilage. The aim here was to characterize the presence and relative amount of decorin in the condylar cartilage of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with maturation by Western blotting, and to assess its tissue localization by immunohistochemistry. Comparative data were obtained from tibial articular cartilage, which has been extensively studied. Cartilage from the mandibular condyle and tibial plateau was harvested from 24-day-old (growing) and 161-day-old (young adult) female Sprague-Dawley rats. In growing animals, decorin appeared slightly more abundant in the mandibular condylar cartilage than in articular cartilage, whereas in young adult animals the decorin content in the TMJ cartilage was noticeably less than in limb articular cartilage. Although there was an increase in decorin abundance with age at the TMJ, the increase in decorin with age in limb articular cartilage was considerably more pronounced. These data indicate that, although decorin is present in mandibular condylar cartilage, its abundance in adults is less than in limb articular cartilage; thus, maturation-associated changes may be dissimilar in magnitude from those documented for limb articular cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Baylor College of Dentistry, PO Box 660677, Dallas, TX 75266-0677, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Santo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marches
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hinton
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D058575:Decorin; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000254:growth & development*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D013977:Tibia
chemical_list: C546880:Dcn protein, rat; D058575:Decorin; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans