Masseter muscular weakness affects temporomandibular synovitis induced by jaw opening in growing rats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the influence of impaired masseter function during growth on the development of temporomandibular synovitis.


METHODS
Sixteen 3-week-old male Wistar rats were classified into four groups. The first group served as control; and in the second group, jaw opening was forced for 3 hours when the rats were 9 weeks old. In the third and fourth groups, the masseter muscles were bilaterally resected at 3 weeks of age, and the rats in the fourth group were additionally forced to open their jaw at 9 weeks of age. All rats were sacrificed at 9 weeks. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tissue samples were processed for histology, and evaluated for cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions by immunohistochemistry to examine the inflammatory changes in the synovial membrane.


RESULTS
The control group showed noninflammatory changes. In the jaw-opening group, vascular dilation and weak COX-2 immunoreactivity were induced by jaw opening in the synovium. In the masseter-resection group, the masseter-resected rats exhibited moderate synovial changes while in the resection with opening group, the masseter-resected rats revealed more significant inflammatory changes including synovial hyperplasia, dilated vasculature, fibrin deposits, and intense immunoreactivity for COX-2 and iNOS, all caused by jaw opening.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that masseter activity in the growth period is an important factor in the induction of temporomandibular synovitis.
Ozaki
Miho
M
Department of Orofacial Development and Function, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. mihk.orts@tmd.ac.jp
Kaneko
Sawa
S
Soma
Kunimichi
K
D000818:Animals; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology; D005337:Fibrin / Q000032:analysis; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000150:complications*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000032:analysis; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D013585:Synovitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology
D005337:Fibrin; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2