The effects of age and sex on the expression of oestrogen and its receptors in rat mandibular condylar cartilages.
OBJECTIVE
Oestrogen expression may indicate a difference in resistance potential to mechanical strain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of oestrogen and oestrogen receptors in mandibular condylar cartilages in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at different ages.


METHODS
One-hundred SD rats at the age of 2, 4, 8 weeks and 4, 12 months in both sexes, 10 in each age-sex group, were enrolled in this study. The expression of oestradiol, ERalpha and ERbeta was detected in mandibular condylar cartilages by the method of immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or western blot.


RESULTS
Oestradiol and ERs immunoreactivity were obvious in mandibular condylar cartilages of SD rats. Oestradiol and ERalpha were observed in hypertrophic and mature layers, while ERbeta only in hypertrophic layer. There was no sex difference of same age (except 8-week age group) in the expression of oestradiol. The expression of both ERs, however, was usually higher in male than in age-matched female rats (P<0.05), except that the 8-week-old female rats showed a higher ERalpha expression and the 4- and 8-week-old female rats showed a higher ERbeta expression than the age-matched male ones in western blot results (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results that oestradiol, ERalpha and ERbeta are co-expressed in rat mandibular condylar cartilage, indicate that mandibular condylar cartilage is a target for oestrogen. The age and sex related differences in ERs expression may indicate a difference in potential to resist mechanical loading between genders at different ages.
Yu
Shi-Bin
SB
Department of Oral Anatomy and Physiology and TMD, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Wang
Mei-Qing
MQ
Li
Yong-Qi
YQ
Lv
Xin
X
Jiang
Yong
Y
Dong
Guang-Ying
GY
Ma
Zhao-Feng
ZF
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000166:cytology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000032:analysis; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000166:cytology; D019224:Temporomandibular Joint Disc / Q000166:cytology
D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004967:Estrogens; D011959:Receptors, Estradiol; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D004958:Estradiol