title: Impact of local steroid or statin treatment of experimental temporomandibular joint arthritis on bone growth in young rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Juvenile idiopathic arthritis in temporomandibular joints (TMJs) is often treated with intra-articular steroid injections, which can inhibit condylar growth. The purpose of this study was to compare simvastatin (a cholesterol-lowering drug that reduces TMJ inflammation) with the steroid triamcinolone hexacetonide in experimental TMJ arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Joint inflammation was induced by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the TMJs of 40 growing Sprague Dawley rats; 4 other rats were left untreated. In the same intra-articular injection, one of the following was applied: (1) 0.5 mg of simvastatin in ethanol carrier, (2) ethanol carrier alone, (3) 0.15 mg of triamcinolone hexacetonide, (4) 0.5 mg of simvastatin and 0.15 mg of triamcinolone hexacetonide, or (5) nothing additional to the CFA. The animals were killed 28 days later, and their mandibles were evaluated morphometrically and with microcomputed tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis showed that the TMJs subjected to CFA alone had decreased ramus height compared with those with no treatment (P <0.05). Groups that had injections containing the steroid overall had decreases in weight, ramus height, and bone surface density when compared with the CFA-alone group (P <0.0001). Groups that had injections containing simvastatin, however, had overall increases in weight (P <0.0001), ramus height (P <0.0001), condylar width (P <0.05), condylar bone surface density (P <0.05), and bone volume (P <0.0001) compared with the groups receiving the steroid injections, and they were not different from the healthy (no treatment) group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of experimentally induced arthritis in TMJs with intra-articular simvastatin preserved normal condylar bone growth.
authors.affiliation: Orthodontist, Cheyenne, Wyo.
authors.forename: Callista
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holwegner
authors.affiliation: Associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Neb.
authors.forename: Adam L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.affiliation: Research technologist, Research/Administration, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Neb.
authors.forename: Marian J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Surgical Specialties, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Lincoln, Neb. Electronic address: rareinha@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004338:Drug Combinations; D000431:Ethanol; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004338:Drug Combinations; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000431:Ethanol; D019821:Simvastatin; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide; C005900:triamcinolone hexacetonide