Objective:To study the effect of functional shift on proliferation activity of condylar cartilage among pubertal rats. Methods:Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats of 28 d were randomly divided into three groups:shift group(n=40),recovery group(n=20),control group(n=20). Rats in shift and recovery groups were imposed with crowns on incisors causing mandible shift 2 mm to the left .The appliance was removed after 2 weeks in recovery group. Ten and five rats were killed on the 7th,14th,21st,28th d separately in shift group and control group. Ten rats in recovery group were killed on the 7th and the 14th d after the crowns being removed. Proliferating cell nu-clear antigen(PCNA) expression was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results:(1)PCNA cells mainly distributed in the proliferating cell layer. (2)On the 7th d,PCNA expression was increased in the posterior,central and external regions of the contralateral side in shift group(Pcentral=0.022,Pposterior=0.019,Pexternal=0.024);while it was significantly decreased in the posterior and external region of the ipsilateral side in shift group(Pposterior=0.015,Pexternal=0.017). On the 14th d,the differences observed on the 7th d became more obvious(contralateral side:Pcentral=0.0023,Pposterior=0.01,Pexternal=0.0097;ipsilateral side:Pposterior=0.0005,Pexternal=0.006)and lasted to the 28th d.(contralateral side:Pcentral=0.0001,Pposterior=0.0001,Pexternal=0.0001;ipsilateral side:Pposterior=0.0001,Pexternal=0.0001). In recovery group,PCNA expression in all regions generally recovered to the level of the control group. Conclusions:The mandible functional shift in pubertal rats may cause asymmetric condyle remolding. Condyle remolding gradually recovers to normal in recovery group after early treatment.