Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Standardized Histomorphometric Evaluation of Osteoarthritis in a Surgical Mouse Model
Published on: May 6, 2020
Alteration of BMP-4 and Runx2 expression patterns in mouse temporomandibular joint after ovariectomy
1Division in Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Yonsei Center of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemoon-Gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
Objective:
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) includes a number of clinical conditions involving the masticatory musculature or the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures. Previous studies have shown the presence of high-affinity estrogen receptors in the TMJ articular cartilage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the developmental changes in mouse TMJ under estrogen deficiency.
Materials And Methods:
Four-month-old ovariectomized mice were killed after certain weeks. We examined the significant alterations of the expression patterns of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-4, Runx2, and bone sialoprotein (BSP) after ovariectomy.
Results:
In the control group, BMP-4, Runx2, and BSP expressions showed no definite difference at any stage. In the ovariectomy group, the intensity of BMP-4 and Runx2 expression increased after ovariectomy. BSP immunoreactivity, however, increased slightly at 2 weeks but then decreased gradually.
Conclusions:
Estrogen plays important roles in the metabolism and maintenance of TMJ via regulations of signaling molecules such as BMP-4, Runx2, and BSP. Our results suggest that estrogen deficiency is a candidate cause of TMD. This study revealed further osteogenetic properties of estrogen that may be useful in the clinical treatment and prevention of TMD.
