Hsu, Li-FangLi-FangHsuRatanasereeprasert, NutthakarnNutthakarnRatanasereeprasertSHIH-KAI WANGJUNG-TSU CHENYI-JANE CHENTE-HUEI YEHSung, Hsiang-HsuanHsiang-HsuanSungJANE CHUNG-CHEN YAO2024-03-292024-03-292024-01-312045-2322https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/641641Nasal obstruction exerts considerable physiological effects on the respiratory system and craniofacial morphology during the developmental stage. This study used MMP-3-LUC transgenic rats for in vivo tracking of long-term expression in the rat nasal region after unilateral nasal obstruction. Skeletal changes of the craniofacial, nasal, and sinus regions were measured through micro-computed tomography examination and analysis with 3D image processing and calculation. Matrix metalloproteinase-3 and olfactory marker protein expression were also investigated through immunohistochemistry (IHC). Unilateral nasal obstruction significantly reduced the MMP-3 signal in the nasal region of MMP-3-LUC transgenic rats, which was mainly expressed in the respiratory epithelium. Long-term obstruction also caused morphological changes of the craniofacial hard tissue, such as nasal septal deviation, longer inter-jaw distance, and increased maxillary molar dental height. It also caused compensatory growth in olfactory nerve bundles and the olfactory epithelium, as confirmed by IHC. In our study, long-term unilateral nasal obstruction caused nasal septal deviation toward the unobstructed side, hyper divergent facial development including longer molar dental height, and reduced MMP-3 production. However, further investigation is necessary to explore the mechanism in depth.en[SDGs]SDG3journal article10.1038/s41598-024-51544-3382970072-s2.0-85183874293https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85183874293