scholarly journals Transcriptomics Study to Determine the Molecular Mechanism by which sIL-13Rα2-Fc Inhibits Caudal Intervertebral Disc Degeneration in Rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Xin Wang ◽  
Jianshi Tan ◽  
Junhao Sun ◽  
Pengzhong Fang ◽  
Jinlei Chen ◽  
...  

Background. Intervertebral disc degeneration is related to tissue fibrosis. ADAMTS can degrade the important components of the ECM during the process of intervertebral disc degeneration, ultimately resulting in the loss of intervertebral disc function. sIL-13Rα2-Fc can inhibit fibrosis and slow down the degeneration process, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. Objective. To determine the mechanism by which sIL-13Rα2-Fc inhibits ECM degradation and reduces intervertebral disc tissue fibrosis using a transcriptomics analysis. Methods. A rat model of caudal intervertebral disc degeneration was established, and Sirius red staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the caudal intervertebral disc. Transcriptome sequencing was employed to assess the gene expression profiles of the intervertebral disc tissues in the model group and the sIL-13Rα2-Fc-treated group. Differentially expressed genes were identified and analyzed using GO annotation and KEGG pathway analyses. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to verify the expression levels of candidate genes. The levels of GAG and HA were quantitatively assessed by ELISA, and the levels of collagen I and collagen II were analyzed by western blotting. Results. Sirius red staining showed that in the model group, the annulus fibrosus was disordered, the number of breaks increased, and the type I collagen protein levels increased, whereas in the sIL-13Rα2-Fc group, the annulus fibrosus was ordered, the number of breaks decreased, and the type II collagen protein levels increased. In comparison with the model group, we identified 58 differentially expressed genes in the sIL-13Rα2-Fc group, and these were involved in 35 signaling pathways. Compared with those in the model group, the mRNA expression levels of Rnux1, Sod2, and Tnfaip6 in the IL-13Rα2-Fc group were upregulated, and the mRNA expression levels of Aldh3a1, Galnt3, Fgf1, Celsr1, and Adamts8 were downregulated; these results were verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. TIMP-1 (an ADAMTS inhibitor) and TIMP-1 combined with the sIL-13Rα2-Fc intervention increased the levels of GAG and HA, inhibited the expression of type I collagen, and promoted the expression of type II collagen. Conclusion. Adamts8 may participate in the degradation of ECM components such as GAG and HA and lead to an imbalance in the ECM of the intervertebral disc, resulting in intervertebral disc degeneration. sIL-13Rα2-Fc promoted anabolism of the ECM and increased the levels of ECM components by inhibiting the expression of Adamts8, thus maintaining the dynamic equilibrium of the ECM and ultimately delaying intervertebral disc degeneration.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjun Guo ◽  
Yang Meng ◽  
Hao Liu ◽  
Xiaofei Wang ◽  
Ying Hong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: microRNA(miR)-17-92 cluster is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, and the purpose of this study is to preliminarily explore the role of miR-17-92 cluster in disc degeneration and the corresponding mechanisms.Methods: Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and Safranin O Staining were used to evaluate the degeneration of intervertebral disc. qRT-PCR was applied to evaluate the mRNA level of miR-17-92 cluster and functional genes of nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues, whose protein level was evaluated with Western-blot. Terminal-Deoxynucleoitidyl Transferase Mediated Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) was used to evaluate the apoptotic level of nucleus pulposus cell (NPC).Results: The expression levels of members of the miR-17-92 cluster were significantly increased in the NP tissues from patients with intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Furthermore, in the 3-months and 24-months miR-17-92-ccKO mice, the degree of IVDD was significantly lower than that of the control group. At the same time, we also detected the expression levels of related functional genes in the NP tissues of mice in two groups. The results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of Bax and Caspase-3 in the knockout group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the mRNA and protein levels of Bcl-2 were significantly higher. The TUNEL results showed that the apoptosis level of NPCs in the 3-month knockout mice was significantly lower than that in the control group. Finally, the assessment of pathway-related protein levels showed that p-Ser473-Akt expression ratio in the nucleus pulposus of mice in the knockout group were significantly increased, suggesting that the PI3K/Akt pathway was activated after miR-17-92 cluster knockout.Conclusion: To sum up, miR-17-92 cluster does play an important regulating role in IVDD, and the results showed that miR-17-92 cluster could inhibiting NPCs apoptosis by activating PI3K/Akt pathway, eventually producing protective effect against IVDD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhu Guo ◽  
Chensheng Qiu ◽  
Christina Mecca ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Jiang Bian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a primary cause of degenerative disc diseases; however, the mechanisms underlying the degeneration remain unclear. The immunoinflammatory response plays an important role in IVDD progression. The inflammatory cytokine lymphotoxin-α (LTα), formerly known as TNFβ, is associated with various pathological conditions, while its role in the pathogenesis of IVDD remains elusive. Methods Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting (WB), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to assess the levels of LTα in human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues between degeneration and control groups. The plasma concentrations of LTα and C-reactive protein (CRP) were compared between healthy and IVDD patients. Rat primary NP cells were cultured and identified via immunofluorescence. Methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium assays and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the effects of LTα on rat NP cell viability. After NP cells were treated with LTα, degeneration-related molecules (Caspase-3, Caspase-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -3, aggrecan and type II collagen) were measured via RT-qPCR and WB. Results The levels of both the mRNA and protein of LTα in human degenerated NP tissue significantly increased. Plasma LTα and CRP did not differ between healthy controls and IVDD patients. Rat primary NP cells were cultured, and the purity of primary NP cells was > 90%. Cell experiments showed inversely proportional relationships among the LTα dose, treatment time, and cell viability. The optimal conditions (dose and time) for LTα treatment to induce rat NP cell degeneration were 5 μg/ml and 48 ~ 72 h. The apoptosis rate and the levels of Caspase-3, Caspase-1, and MMP-3 significantly increased after LTα treatment, while the levels of type II collagen and aggrecan were decreased, and the protein expression levels were consistent with their mRNA expression levels. Conclusions This study demonstrated that elevated LTα is closely associated with IVDD and that LTα may induce NP cell apoptosis and reduce important extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which cause adverse effects on IVDD progress. Moreover, the optimal conditions for LTα treatment to induce NP cell degeneration were determined.


Spine ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (17) ◽  
pp. 1177-1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Russo ◽  
Luca Ambrosio ◽  
Kevin Ngo ◽  
Gianluca Vadalà ◽  
Vincenzo Denaro ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Zhang ◽  
Butain Zhang ◽  
Ran Li ◽  
Te Liu ◽  
Jun Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Cell therapies for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) are intended to replace lost intervertebral disc (IVD) cells. The key to this treatment is to promote the migration of transplanted cells to the lesion site. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the repair effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) labeled with Fe3O4@polydopamine nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA NPs) on rat caudal vertebra disc degeneration. We characterized UCMSCs labeled with Fe3O4@PDA NPs, analyzed the effects of nanoparticles on UCMSCs and evaluated UCMSCs labeled with Fe3O4@PDA NPs to repair IDD in vivo. We found that UCMSC Fe3O4@PDA NPs could enhanced the migration of UCMSCs by up-regulating the expression of CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) without effecting UCMSC functionality and the Fe3O4@PDA NPs-labeled UCMSC group had better disc height, better tissue morphology performance and a higher number of transplanted cells and induced notably better regeneration of IVD, evidenced by the higher expression of aggrecan, type II collagen, and Sox-9 and lower expression of Mmp-13, Tnf-α and Il-1β at both mRNA and protein levels than the unlabeled group. We demonstrated systemic delivery of UCMSCs labeled with Fe3O4@PDA NPs could be an appropriate protocol for accelerating and optimizing clinically applicable UCMSC treatment for IDD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiandong Zhu ◽  
Hao Wu ◽  
Yilei Chen ◽  
Junhui Liu ◽  
Zhi Shan ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the changes of Hounsfield units (HU) value in different types of Modic changes (MCs) and to analyze the correlation between the change of HU value and area ratio of MCs region, bone mineral density (BMD), and degree of intervertebral disc degeneration. Methods 158 endplates with MCs were included and analyzed. HU values of MCs regions and adjacent vertebral corresponding regions without MCs were measured. The area ratio of MCs region was defined as the area of MCs divided by the area of endplate or the vertebral sagittal plane. BMD was measured by Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Degree of intervertebral disc degeneration was evaluated based on Pfirrmann classification. According to the types of variables, descriptive statistics, Kolmogorove-Smirnov test, paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Independent-Samples T Test, and Pearson correlation analysis were used. Results The HU values in any types of MCs are significantly higher than that of adjacent vertebral corresponding regions without MCs(P < 0.001). The HU value of the type III MCs is higher than that of the type I and type II MCs. HU value was positively correlated with BMD. In the levels with Grade V disc degeneration, the area ratio of MCs region was significant increased. Conclusions HU values of the vertebral endplate and bone marrow were increased in most MCs regions with all types of MCs. HU value of endplates had a significantly positive correlation with BMD. Higher area ratio of MCs region is associated with more severe intervertebral disc degeneration.


1993 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard S. Bockman ◽  
Peter T. Guidon ◽  
Lydia C. Pan ◽  
Roberto Salvatori ◽  
Alan Kawaguchi

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