title: Inflammation of temporomandibular joint increases neural activity in rat vestibular nucleus.
abstract: To determine whether the vestibular nuclei are affected by inflammation of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region, we studied vestibular nucleus neural activity using two experimental groups: (1) normal saline 0.1cm(3) injection at right TMJ region, (2) 10% formalin 0.1cm(3) injection at right TMJ region. Neural activity after 24 hours was assessed by immunohistochemical staining with free-floating section at the level of interaural -1.30 mm to -2.00 mm for c-Fos. In inflammation group, formalin injection produced a bilateral increase in c-Fos at vestibular nucleus with ipsilesional side higher activity. In control group, expression of c-Fos protein was also observed in the vestibular nucleus (VN), especially MVN. But stain intensity of Fos-positive neurons was much weaker and mean number of c-Fos positive cells was fewer than inflammation group. This result suggests that there is a close neural connection between TMJ and vestibular nucleus, especially in case of inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Myeung Ju
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin-Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Myung-Whan
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Chung-Ku
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Jae Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005557:Formaldehyde; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000276:immunology*; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D005557:Formaldehyde