Identification of sensory fiber types in mouse temporomandibular joint tissues.

ABSTRACT: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMJDs) are linked to heightened nerve sensitivity in TMJ tissues. To set the groundwork for investigating the mechanisms governing this increased responsiveness, this study aimed to identify the types of nerves in the retrodiscal tissue (retrodisc), anterior disc, and joint capsule of mouse TMJ using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reporter mice. The pan-sensory neuronal marker pgp9.5 revealed no nerves in the articular disc but identified approximately 70% unmyelinated and 30% myelinated fibers in other TMJ tissues. Nearly all sensory fibers in the joint capsule and anterior disc were CGRP⁺ peptidergic fibers, while the retrodisc contained about 80% peptidergic fibers. Notably, CGRP^-/NFH⁺ myelinated non-peptidergic n

SUBMITTER: Alfaro JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12402272 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature