Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 8, 2025
Analysis of Craniomaxillofacial Malformations in Mice Using Three-dimensional Microcomputed Tomography
Published on: January 17, 2025
Effects of estrogen deficiency during puberty on maxillary and mandibular growth and associated gene expression - an
Erika Calvano Küchler1,2, Rafaela Mariana de Lara3, Marjorie Ayumi Omori4
1Department of Orthodontics, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053, Regensburg, Germany. erikacalvano@gmail.com.
Background:
Estrogen is a well-known and important hormone involved in skeletal homeostasis, which regulates genes involved in bone biology. Some studies support that estrogen is important for craniofacial growth and development. Therefore this in vivo animal study aimed to investigate, whether and in which way low estrogen levels in the prepubertal period affect craniofacial development in the postpubertal stage and to quantify the gene expression of RANK, RANKL and OPG in cranial growth sites in ovariectomized estrogen-deficient rats during puberty.
Methods:
Control (sham-operated, n = 18) and ovariectomy (OVX, n = 18) surgeries were performed on 21-days-old female Wistar rats. Animals euthanized at an age of 45 days (pubertal stage) were used for gene expression analyses (n = 6 per group) and immunohistochemistry of RANK, RANKL and OPG. Animals euthanized at 63 days of age (post-pubertal stage) were used for craniofacial two-dimensional and three-dimensional craniofacial measurements using μCT imaging (n = 12 per group).
Results:
In the μCT analysis of the mandible and maxilla many statistically significant differences between sham-operated and OVX groups were observed, such as increased maxillary and mandibular bone length in OVX animals (p < 0.05). Condylar volume was also significantly different between groups (p < 0.05). The sham-operated group showed a higher level of RANK expression in the midpalatal suture (p = 0.036) and the RANKL:OPG ratio levels were higher in the OVX group (p = 0.015).
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that estrogen deficiency during the prepubertal period is associated with alterations in the maxillary and mandibular bone length and condylar growth.
