Type II collagen and aggrecan mRNA expressions in rabbit condyle following disc displacement

The aim of this investigation was to study the remodelling of cartilage in the mandibular condyle following disc displacement (DD) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Forty adult Japanese white rabbits were used in this study. The right joints of 28 of the 40 rabbits had their discs surgically displaced. Four of the 28 were killed at 4 days or 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of aggrecan and type II collagen in cartilages were measured using in situ hybridization techniques. Results showed that aggrecan mRNA expression reduced in the first week after DD. The expression began to recover after 4 weeks and reached a normal level after 6 weeks. Type II collagen mRNA expression reduced from 4 weeks and the expression recovered after 8 weeks. This suggests that the chondrocyte reacting to the displacement of the TMJ disc, alters its matrix gene expression patterns and it is may be the cause of the shape changes of TMJ after DD.