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RESEARCH REPORT |
1 Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1524, CEP 05508-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; and
2 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, State University of Campinas, R. Alexander Fleming 40, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
* corresponding author, mfsantos{at}usp.br
Functional orthopedic therapy corrects growth discrepancies between the maxilla and mandible, possibly through postural changes in the musculature and modulation of the mandibular condylar cartilage growth. Using Wistar rats, we tested the hypothesis that chondrocytes respond to forces generated by a mandibular propulsor appliance by changes in gene expression, and that integrins are important mediators in this response. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that the use of the appliance for different periods of time modulated the expression of fibronectin, 
5 and v integrin subunits, as well as cell proliferation in the cartilage. In vitro, cyclic distension of condylar cartilage-derived cells increased fibronectin mRNA, as well as Insulin-like Growth Factor-I and II mRNA and cell proliferation. A peptide containing the Arginine-Glycine-Asparagine sequence (RGD), the main cell-binding sequence in fibronectin, blocked almost all these effects, confirming that force itself modulates the growth of the rat condylar cartilage, and that RGD-binding integrins participate in mechanotransduction.
KEY WORDS: cartilage • IGF • fibronectin • mechanical force
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| IADR Journals | Advances in Dental Research ® |
| Journal of Dental Research ® | Critical Reviews (1990-2004) |
