Leonardi Rosalia, Migliore Maria Rita, Almeida Luis Eduardo, Trevilatto Paula C, Loreto Carla
Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Catania, Policlinico Universitario, Italy.
J Craniofac Surg. 2010 Sep;21(5):1508-11. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0b013e3181ef2dc9.
In this study, we hypothesized that caspase 3, which plays a central role in the execution phase of cell apoptosis, could be involved in limiting fatty degeneration of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disks and therefore inhibit the TMJ disk tissue from completely degenerating into fatty tissue. Therefore, caspase 3 immunohistochemical expression in human TMJ degenerated disks was studied. Fifty-nine degenerated TMJ disks were stained with Harry's hematoxylin, and they were then examined with light microscopy to detect any pathologic changes typical of fatty degeneration. Sections from the same TMJ disk were immunostained also by a polyclonal anti-caspase 3 antibody. On morphologic observations, 11 disks of 59 degenerated ones also presented a fatty infiltration. Immunostaining with caspase 3 antibody was detected on adipocytes in the cytoplasm as well as the nuclei. Our results sustain the hypothesis that fatty degeneration is limited by apoptosis, being adipocytes immunolabeled by caspase 3 antibody. Hence, apart from the several factors that can trigger degeneration changes in TMJ disk, their appearance, spread, and permanence, at least for fatty degeneration, seem to be influenced by apoptosis.
在本研究中，我们假设在细胞凋亡执行阶段起核心作用的半胱天冬酶3可能参与限制颞下颌关节（TMJ）盘的脂肪变性，从而抑制TMJ盘组织完全退化为脂肪组织。因此，我们研究了人TMJ退变盘组织中半胱天冬酶3的免疫组化表达。59个退变的TMJ盘用哈里苏木精染色，然后通过光学显微镜检查以检测脂肪变性的任何典型病理变化。来自同一TMJ盘的切片也用多克隆抗半胱天冬酶3抗体进行免疫染色。形态学观察显示，59个退变盘中有11个也出现了脂肪浸润。在细胞质以及细胞核中的脂肪细胞上检测到半胱天冬酶3抗体免疫染色。我们的结果支持脂肪变性受细胞凋亡限制这一假设，脂肪细胞被半胱天冬酶3抗体免疫标记。因此，除了能引发TMJ盘退变改变的多种因素外，其出现、扩散和持续存在，至少对于脂肪变性而言，似乎受细胞凋亡影响。
