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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Temporomandibular Joint Pain Measurement by Bite Force and Von Frey Filament Assays in Mice
Published on: September 13, 2024
[Study on porcine proteoglycans relevant to structure and function of temporomandibular joint]
1Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to characterize the biochemical and immunological properties of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Proteoglycans (PGs) were extracted from the porcine TMJ retrodiscal tissue (RT) and superficial fibrous layer of condyle (SLC). The proportion of Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) with TMJ disc. RT and SLC resembled that of disc and RT GAGs, but SLC GAGs were different from others. TMJ disc had a higher Dermatan sulfate/Chondroitin sulfate ratio than that of RT. and TMJ disc had stronger tensional load resistance than that of RT. Immunologically, a high molecular weight PG resembled Aggrecan and two low molecular weight PGs resembled Decorin and Biglycan. Total RNA was isolated from SLC, and RT-PCR was performed. These products were sequenced, and these sequences were compared to the sequences of porcine Aggrecan, human Decorin and Biglycan. These results suggested that TMJ had Decorin, Biglycan, and Aggrecan. The difference of PG quantity in each region seemed to be associated with the pathological conditions found on each component of TMJ.
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