Effects of Reloading After Simulated Microgravity on Proteoglycan Metabolism in the Nucleus Pulposus and Anulus Fibrosus of the Lumbar Intervertebral Disc

Objective. Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), encoding a glycosylated secreted protein, has been reported to be closely related to many kinds of diseases, including diabetes, tumor, and some musculoskeletal pathologies, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. The aim of the current study is to investigate the role of ANGPTL4 in intervertebral disc degeneration and analyze the association of ANGPTL4 expression with Pfirrmann grades. Methods. A total of 162 nucleus pulposus tissues were collected from lumbar intervertebral disc herniation patients undergoing interforaminal endoscopic surgery. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blot were performed to determine the mRNA and protein expression of ANGPTL4 in nucleus pulposus samples. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the association of ANGPTL4 expression with Pfirrmann grades. Results. Based on the clinical data of 162 patients, results showed that Pfirrmann grades were significantly associated with patients’ age ( r = 0.162 , P = 0.047 ) and were not significantly associated with patients’ gender ( P > 0.05 ). RT-qPCR and western blot results showed that the mRNA ( r = 0.287 , P < 0.05 ) and protein ( r = 0.356 , P < 0.05 ) expressions of ANGPTL4 were both closely associated with Pfirrmann grades. The expression of ANGPTL4 was remarkably increased in the groups of high IVDD Pfirrmann grades. Conclusion. The results demonstrated that ANGPTL4 expression was positively associated with the Pfirrmann grades and the severity of intervertebral disc degeneration. ANGPTL4 may be served as a candidate biomarker for intervertebral disc degeneration.

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The role of the nucleus pulposus in neutral zone human lumbar intervertebral disc mechanics

Journal of Biomechanics ◽

10.1016/j.jbiomech.2008.04.037 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 41 (10) ◽

pp. 2104-2111 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Marco Cannella ◽

Amy Arthur ◽

Shanee Allen ◽

Michael Keane ◽

Abhijeet Joshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Nucleus Pulposus ◽

Neutral Zone ◽

Lumbar Intervertebral Disc

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Contrast-enhanced microCT evaluation of degeneration following partial and full width injuries to mouse lumbar intervertebral disc

10.1101/2022.01.14.476362 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Remy E Walk ◽

Hong Joo Moon ◽

Simon Y Tang ◽

Munish C Gupta

Keyword(s):

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Nucleus Pulposus ◽

Annulus Fibrosus ◽

Partial Width ◽

Full Width ◽

Lumbar Intervertebral Disc ◽

Study Objective ◽

Post Surgery ◽

Contrast Enhanced ◽

Ivd Degeneration

Study Design: Preclinical animal study. Objective: Evaluation of the degenerative progression resulting from either a partial- or full- width injury to the mouse lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) using contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography and histological analyses. We utilized a lateral-retroperitoneal surgical approach to access the lumbar IVD, and the injuries to the IVD were induced by either incising one side of the annulus fibrosus or puncturing both sides of the annulus fibrosus. The full-width injury caused dramatic reduction in nucleus pulposus hydration and significant degeneration. A partial-width injury produces localized deterioration around the annulus fibrosus site that resulted in local tissue remodeling without gross degeneration to the IVD. Methods: Female C57BL/6J mice of 3-4 months age were used in this study. They were divided into three groups to undergo a partial-width, full-width, or sham injuries. The L5/L6 and L6/S1 lumbar IVDs were surgically exposed using a lateral-retroperitoneal approach. The L6/S1 IVDs were injured using either a surgical scalpel (partial-width) or a 33G needle (full-width), with the L5/L6 serving as an internal control. These animals were allowed to recover and then sacrificed at 2-, 4-, or 8- weeks post-surgery. The IVDs were assessed for degeneration using contrast-enhanced microCT (CEμCT) and histological analysis. Results: The high-resolution 3D evaluation of the IVD confirmed that the respective injuries localized within one side of the annulus fibrosus or spanned the full width of the IVD. The full-width injury caused deteriorations in the nucleus pulposus after 2 weeks that culminated in significant degeneration at 8 weeks, while the partial width injury caused localized disruptions that remained limited to the annulus fibrosus. Conclusion: The use of CEμCT revealed distinct IVD degeneration profiles resulting from partial- and full- width injuries. The partial width injury may serve as a better model for IVD degeneration resulting from localized annulus fibrosus injuries in humans.

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Endoscopic removal of nucleus pulposus of intervertebral disc on lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion and the influence on inflammatory factors and immune function

Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine ◽

10.3892/etm.2019.8223 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Gang Xu ◽

Changchun Zhang ◽

Kun Zhu ◽

Zhengqi Bao ◽

Pinghui Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Immune Function ◽

Nucleus Pulposus ◽

Inflammatory Factors ◽

Endoscopic Removal ◽

Lumbar Intervertebral Disc ◽

Disc Protrusion

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The influence of the nucleus pulposus on the stress distribution in the natural and prosthetic intervertebral disc

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201925207006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 252 ◽

pp. 07006 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Robert Karpiński ◽

Łukasz Jaworski ◽

Józef Jonak ◽

Przemysław Krakowski

Keyword(s):

Stress Distribution ◽

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Nucleus Pulposus ◽

Inner Core ◽

Lumbar Vertebrae ◽

Fem Analysis ◽

3D Models ◽

Intervertebral Discs ◽

Biomechanical Analysis ◽

Lumbar Intervertebral Disc

The aim of this article was to present the results of a preliminary study on the stress distribution in the lumbar intervertebral disc [IVD] under loads induced during daily activities. Basic anatomy, biomechanical analysis of the vertebra and intervertebral disc were introduced. The third and fourth lumbar vertebrae were chosen for the study because they carry considerably higher loads, especially while standing or sitting. The static mechanical analyses using the finite element method (FEM) were conducted for four standard loads reflecting patient’s positions: recumbent, standing, sitting and standing with additional loads, and three models: an intervertebral disc with an inner nucleus pulposus and two prosthetic intervertebral discs, with or without an artificial nucleus. The FEM analysis was performed in the SolidWorks Simulation module on reverse-engineered 3D models of vertebrae and the intervertebral disc, based on a series of computed tomography [CT] scans of the patient’s spine, which had been properly processed in Materialise Mimics software and exported to CAD files. The model of the fourth intervertebral disc, placed between third and fourth vertebra, had been additionally modified to include its inner core, the nucleus pulposus.

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