Unilateral nasal obstruction mediates reversible morphological and phenotypic changes in masticatory muscles of growing rats.

Objective: Mouth breathing as a result of nasal obstruction affects craniofacial growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the effects of unilateral nasal obstruction and its recovery, along with the role of nitric oxide (NO) in masticatory muscle physiology.

Materials And Methods: Forty-eight 4-week-old male rats were divided into control and experimental groups.

Differential Recovery Patterns of the Maxilla and Mandible after Eliminating Nasal Obstruction in Growing Rats.

Although nasal obstruction (NO) during growth causes maxillofacial growth suppression, it remains unclear whether eliminating the NO affects maxillary and mandibular growth differentially. We aimed to clarify whether eliminating NO can help regain normal maxillofacial growth and to determine the optimal intervention timing. Forty-two 4-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups.