Quercetin Suppresses Apoptosis and Attenuates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration via the SIRT1-Autophagy Pathway

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) has been generally accepted as the major cause of low back pain (LBP), which causes an enormous socioeconomic burden. Previous studies demonstrated that the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and the dyshomeostasis of extracellular matrix (ECM) contributed to the pathogenesis of IDD, and effective therapies were still lacking. Quercetin, a natural flavonoid possessing a specific effect of autophagy stimulation and SIRT1 activation, showed some protective effect on a series of degenerative diseases. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that quercetin might have therapeutic effects on IDD by inhibiting the apoptosis of NP cells and dyshomeostasis of ECM via the SIRT1-autophagy pathway. In this study, we revealed that quercetin treatment inhibited the apoptosis of NP cells and ECM degeneration induced by oxidative stress. We also found that quercetin promoted the expression of SIRT1 and autophagy in NP cells in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) reversed the protective effect of quercetin on apoptosis and ECM degeneration. Moreover, SIRT1 enzymatic activity inhibitor EX-527, suppressed quercetin-induced autophagy and the protective effect on NP cells, indicating that quercetin protected NP cells against apoptosis and prevented ECM degeneration via SIRT1-autophagy pathway. In vivo, quercetin was also demonstrated to alleviate the progression of IDD in rats. Taken together, our results suggest that quercetin prevents IDD by promoting SIRT1-dependent autophagy, indicating one novel and effective therapeutic method for IDD.

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Recovery of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Post Enzymatic Treatment is Mediated by Matrix Metalloproteinases

ASME 2011 Summer Bioengineering Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/sbc2011-53887 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Nadeen Chahine ◽

Nate Stetson ◽

Neena Rajan ◽

Daniel Grande ◽

Mitchell Levine

Keyword(s):

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Enzymatic Degradation ◽

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽

Biomechanical Properties ◽

Enzymatic Treatment ◽

Disc Injury ◽

Herniated Discs ◽

Dose Dependent

Enzymatic degradation of the intervertebral disc (IVD) with chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) reduces proteoglycan content of the IVD, thus simulating the GAG loss seen clinically in patients suffering from disc degeneration. This approach has been employed in models of disc injury in rats, rabbits and goats when administered over a large range of dosages [1–3]. Moreover, ChABC has also been used to induce repair of herniated discs in rabbits via chemonucleolysis [4, 5]. Despite the effectiveness of ChABC treatment to reduce the GAG content of the IVD, several recent studies including our own, have shown that this GAG loss is reversible at extended time points post enzymatic treatment [2,6,7]. The goal of the current study is to examine the dose dependent response of IVDs to degradation by ChABC in vivo. We hypothesize that administration of ChABC will result in dose dependent GAG loss and reduced mechanical properties. We administered ChABC at 0.1 U/ml, 1.0 U/ml and 10 U/ml and examined the changes in biomechanical properties, biochemical content, and gene expression in order to examine the biophysical and molecular mechanism by which GAG loss occurs in this model.

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Exosomes derived from human placental MSCs carrying miR-4450 inhibitor alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration and ameliorate gait disturbances via up-regulation of ZNF121

10.21203/rs.3.rs-28561/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Qiling Yuan ◽

Xinyi Wang ◽

Liang Liu ◽

Yongsong Cai ◽

Xiaoming Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Nucleus Pulposus Cells ◽

Gait Abnormality ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Potential Therapeutic Role

Abstract Background Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as novel drug and gene delivery tools. Current study aimed to elucidate the potential therapeutic role of human placental MSC (hPLMSC)-derived exosomes carrying antagomiR-4450 (EXO-antagomiR-4450) in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) progression. Methods Initially, the differentially expressed miRNAs related to IDD were identified by microarray analysis which provided data predicting the interaction between miR-4450 and ZNF121 in IDD. Next, miR-4450 and ZNF121 were elevated or silenced to determine their effects on the damage of NPCs treated with TNF-α. The therapeutic effects of EXO-antagomiR-4450 on nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) were verified both in vitro and in vivo, especially gait analysis and fluorescent molecular tomopraphy were used in live IDD mice. Results Our results revealed that miR-4450 was highly expressed, while ZNF121 was poorly expressed in IDD patients and NPCs treated with TNF-α. Furthermore, miR-4450 was identified to specifically target ZNF121. Additionally, the inhibition of miR-4450 exerted an alleviatory effect on the inflammation, apoptosis and damage of the NPCs by up-regulating ZNF121. Moreover, EXO-antagomiR-4450 retarded damage of NPCs in vitro, alleviated IDD damage and ameliorated gait abnormality in vivo. Conclusion hPLMSC-derived exosomes could be a feasible nanovehicle to deliver inhibitory oligonucleotides like antagomiR-4450 in IDD.

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Platelet-Derived Biomaterials Exert Chondroprotective and Chondroregenerative Effects on Diabetes Mellitus-Induced Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Life ◽

10.3390/life11101054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 1054

Author(s):

Wen-Cheng Lo ◽

Chun-Chao Chang ◽

Chun-Hao Chan ◽

Abhinay Kumar Singh ◽

Yue-Hua Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽

Transforming Growth Factor ◽

Disc Height ◽

Therapeutic Effects

Complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) range from acute to chronic conditions, leading to multiorgan disorders such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy. However, little is known about the influence of DM on intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Moreover, traditional surgical outcomes in DM patients have been found poor, and to date, no definitive alternative treatment exists for DM-induced IVDD. Recently, among various novel approaches in regenerative medicine, the concentrated platelet-derived biomaterials (PDB), which is comprised of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), etc., have been reported as safe, biocompatible, and efficacious alternatives for various disorders. Therefore, we initially investigated the correlations between DM and IVDD, through establishing in vitro and in vivo DM models, and further evaluated the therapeutic effects of PDB in this comorbid pathology. In vitro model was established by culturing immortalized human nucleus pulposus cells (ihNPs) in high-glucose medium, whereas in vivo DM model was developed by administering streptozotocin, nicotinamide and high-fat diet to the mice. Our results revealed that DM deteriorates both ihNPs and IVD tissues, by elevating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress, inhibiting chondrogenic markers and disc height. Contrarily, PDB ameliorated IVDD by restoring cellular growth, chondrogenic markers and disc height, possibly through suppressing ROS levels. These data imply that PDB may serve as a potential chondroprotective and chondroregenerative candidate for DM-induced IVDD.

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Quercetin Alleviates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Modulating p38 MAPK-Mediated Autophagy

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/6631562 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Shuwen Zhang ◽

Weidong Liang ◽

Yakefu Abulizi ◽

Tao Xu ◽

Rui Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Protective Effect ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

P38 Mapk ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Rat Tail

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a degenerative and chronic spinal disorder often associated with the older population. Oxidative stress is a major pathogenic factor of aging that results in the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Quercetin (QUE), a naturally occurring flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has been studied in research on degenerative diseases. However, the potential effects and mechanisms of action of QUE on IVDD remain unclear. In this study, the effects of QUE on antiapoptosis and ECM metabolism were firstly investigated in TBHP-treated NPCs. Meanwhile, the autophagy inhibitor, 3-MA, and p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, were used in subsequent TBHP-induced NPC experiments to determine whether QUE exerted its protective effects through autophagy and the p38 MAPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Finally, the therapeutic effects of QUE were confirmed in vivo using a rat tail needle puncture-induced model of IVDD. We found that QUE treatment significantly alleviated oxidative stress-decreased cell viability and intracellular ROS levels in NPCs treated with TBHP. Furthermore, treatment with QUE led to a decrease in apoptosis as measured by decreased Bax and increased Bcl-2 expression and PE/7-AAD flow cytometry analysis. QUE also promoted ECM stability as measured by increased collagen II and aggrecan and decreased MMP13 levels. Our results also showed that QUE promoted the expression of autophagy markers beclin-1, LC3-II/I, and decreased p62. Inhibition of autophagy by inhibitor 3-MA may partially reverse the protective effect of QUE on apoptosis and ECM degeneration, indicating that autophagy was involved in the protective effect of QUE in NPCs. Further study confirmed that QUE partially inhibited the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 activated autophagy, indicating that QUE protected NPCs against apoptosis and prevented ECM degeneration via the p38 MAPK-autophagy pathway. Finally, using a rat tail puncture-induced model of IVDD, we confirmed that QUE had a protective effect against IVDD. Our results suggest that QUE could prevent IVDD by modulating p38 MAPK-mediated autophagy and, therefore, is a potential therapeutic strategy in the treatment of IVDD.

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Exosomes from normal cartilage endplate stem cells ameliorate intervertebral disc degeneration more effectively than exosomes from degenerated cartilage endplate stem cell by activating the AKT/autophagy pathway

10.21203/rs.3.rs-33698/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Liwen Luo ◽

Xiuying Jian ◽

Hui Sun ◽

Jinghao Qin ◽

Yanqiu Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Signaling Pathways ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Western Blotting ◽

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Normal Cartilage ◽

Cartilage Endplate ◽

Autophagy Pathway

Abstract Background Nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) apoptosis is an important factor in exacerbating intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) that can be effectively suppressed by exosomes. The aim of this study was to reaearch whether normal cartilage endplate stem cells (CESCs) derived exosomes (N-Exos) were more conducive to activation of autophagy and inhibition of NPCs apoptosis and IVDD than degenerated CESCs derived exosomes (D-Exos) or not. Methods Rat CESCs were isolated and identified, and the exosomes produced by normal CESCs and degenerated CESCs were extracted. The bioinformatics differences between normal CESCs derived exosomes (N-Exos) and degenerated CESCs derived exosome (D-Exos) were analyzed by mass spectrometry, heat map and KEGG enrichment analysis biology. The effects of N-Exos and D-Exos on the inhibition of NPCs apoptosis were examined by TUNEL staining, flow cytometry and western blotting. The involvement of the AKT and autophagy signaling pathways was investigated using the signaling inhibitor LY294002. Magnetic resonance imaging, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of N-Exos in vivo. Results CESCs in the cartilage endplate (CEP) could secrete a large amount of exosomes. N-Exos were more conducive to activation of autophagy than D-Exos. The apoptotic rate of NPCs was decreased obviously after treatment with N-Exos than after D-Exos treatment. N-Exos inhibited NPCs apoptosis or attenuated IVDD in a rat tail model by activating the AKT and autophagy signaling pathways. Conclusions It was the first to confirm that CEP could delay the progression of IVDD through exosomes secreted by normal CESCs. The therapeutic effects of N-Exos on inhibiting NPCs apoptosis and slowing IVDD progression was more effective than D-Exos by activating the PI3K/AKT/autophagy pathway, which explained the reason that the incidence of IVDD was increased after inflammation of the CEP.

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