Unilateral mastication induced alternations of microRNAs expression profiling in synovium of rat temporomandibular joint

The present study investigated the alterations of miRNA expression profiling in synovium of temporomandibular joint(TMJ) in a rat model of experimental unilateral mastication. The synovium tissue of TMJ condyles from rats with 4- and 8-weeks unilateral mastication were harvested to extract miRNA for profiling holistic expression alternations. A total of 20 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. Except for 3 miRNAs with uncertain function, those miRNAs are associated with cell proliferation, invasion, and osteoblast differentiation process. The miRNA expression profiling of synovial tissue in in bilateral condyles of rats with experimental tooth loss for 4- and 8-weeks was compared to that from sham-operated control. (n=4)