Akiko Mino-Oka1, Takashi Izawa1, Takehiro Shinohara1, Hiroki Mori1, Akihiro Yasue1, Shuhei Tomita2, Eiji Tanaka3. 1. Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan. 2. Department of Pharmacology, Osaka City University, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. 3. Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan; Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: etanaka@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by permanent cartilage loss. Articular cartilage is maintained in a low-oxygen environment. The chondrocyte response to hypoxic conditions involves expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), which induces chondrocytes to increase expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Here, we investigated the role of HIF-1α in mechanical load effects on condylar cartilage and subchondral bone in heterozygous HIF-1α-deficient mice (HIF-1α+/-). DESIGN: Mechanical stress was applied to the TMJ of C57BL/6NCr wild-type (WT) and HIF-1α+/- mice with a sliding plate for 10 days. Histological analysis was performed by HE staining, Safranin-O/Fast green staining, and immunostaining specific for articular cartilage homeostasis. RESULTS: HIF-1α+/- mice had thinner cartilage and smaller areas of proteoglycan than WT controls, without and with mechanical stress. Mechanical stress resulted in prominent degenerative changes with increased expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, and the apoptosis factor cleaved Caspase-3 in condylar cartilage. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that HIF-1α may be important for articular cartilage homeostasis and protective against articular cartilage degradation in the TMJ under mechanical stress condition, therefore HIF-1α could be an important new therapeutic target in TMJ-OA. Copyright Â
OBJECTIVE:Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by permanent cartilage loss. Articular cartilage is maintained in a low-oxygen environment. The chondrocyte response to hypoxic conditions involves expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), which induces chondrocytes to increase expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Here, we investigated the role of HIF-1α in mechanical load effects on condylar cartilage and subchondral bone in heterozygous HIF-1α-deficient mice (HIF-1α+/-). DESIGN: Mechanical stress was applied to the TMJ of C57BL/6NCr wild-type (WT) and HIF-1α+/- mice with a sliding plate for 10 days. Histological analysis was performed by HE staining, Safranin-O/Fast green staining, and immunostaining specific for articular cartilage homeostasis. RESULTS: HIF-1α+/- mice had thinner cartilage and smaller areas of proteoglycan than WT controls, without and with mechanical stress. Mechanical stress resulted in prominent degenerative changes with increased expression of HIF-1α, VEGF, and the apoptosis factor cleaved Caspase-3 in condylar cartilage. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that HIF-1α may be important for articular cartilage homeostasis and protective against articular cartilage degradation in the TMJ under mechanical stress condition, therefore HIF-1α could be an important new therapeutic target in TMJ-OA. Copyright Â