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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Laser Capture Microdissection of Mouse Embryonic Cartilage and Bone for Gene Expression Analysis
Published on: December 18, 2019
OPG is Required for the Postnatal Maintenance of Condylar Cartilage
Danying Chen1,2, Yi Liu3,4, Zongxiang Liu3
1Zhujiang New Town Dental Clinic, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Rd, 510055, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. chendy53@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is one of the protective factors of bony tissue. However, the function of OPG in cartilage tissues remains elusive. The aim of this study is to explore the function of OPG in the postnatal maintenance and the occurring of osteoarthritis (OA) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in the rodent models. We found that OPG expressed in the hypertrophic layer of the condylar cartilage and upregulated in the hyperocclusion-induced-TMJ-trauma rat. In the absence of OPG, the cartilage degradation occurred prior to that in WT mice, and the 3-month-old OPG-Knockout (OPG-KO) condyle showed decreased chondrocyte proliferation and increased chondrocyte apoptosis, whereas the number of chondroclasts was comparable to WT condyle. The isolated chondrocytes from the OPG-KO mice also showed impaired survival and promoted chondrogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the hyperocclusion model deteriorated TMJ degradation in the OPG-KO mice. OPG plays a protective role in the condylar chondrocytes' survival, and it is required for the postnatal maintenance of TMJ.
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