The effects of age and sex on the expression of oestrogen and its receptors in rat mandibular condylar cartilages

ObjectiveOestrogen expression may indicate a difference in resistance potential to mechanical strain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of oestrogen and oestrogen receptors in mandibular condylar cartilages in male and female Sprague–Dawley rats at different ages.Materials and methodsOne-hundred SD rats at the age of 2, 4, 8 weeks and 4, 12 months in both sexes, 10 in each age–sex group, were enrolled in this study. The expression of oestradiol, ERα and ERβ was detected in mandibular condylar cartilages by the method of immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or western blot.ResultsOestradiol and ERs immunoreactivity were obvious in mandibular condylar cartilages of SD rats. Oestradiol and ERα were observed in hypertrophic and mature layers, while ERβ only in hypertrophic layer. There was no sex difference of same age (except 8-week age group) in the expression of oestradiol. The expression of both ERs, however, was usually higher in male than in age-matched female rats (P < 0.05), except that the 8-week-old female rats showed a higher ERα expression and the 4- and 8-week-old female rats showed a higher ERβ expression than the age-matched male ones in western blot results (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe results that oestradiol, ERα and ERβ are co-expressed in rat mandibular condylar cartilage, indicate that mandibular condylar cartilage is a target for oestrogen. The age and sex related differences in ERs expression may indicate a difference in potential to resist mechanical loading between genders at different ages.