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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration caused by nicotine in rabbits to explicate intervertebral disc disorders caused by smoking.

STUDY DESIGN: The effects of nicotine on intervertebral discs in rabbits were studied experimentally. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of nicotine on the vascular buds in rabbits for elucidating the mechanism of nicotine-induced vertebral disc degeneration. BACKGROUND DATA: Several groups have suggested that cigarette smoking is associated with low back pain, but the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood. METHODS: The pump was filled with a diluted nicotine solution, then implanted under the skin of rabbits for 8 weeks. This model was designed to maintain blood nicotine concentration at approximately 110 ng/mL. Rabbits receiving physiologic saline were used as control animals. RESULTS: Nicotine treatment resulted in necrosis and hyalinization of the nucleus pulposus in all rabbits. The anulus fibrosus showed a disturbance of the pattern of overlapping laminae with and without clefts and separation. These resulted in changes indicative of stenosis of vascular buds and perivascular calcification. Nicotine treatment resulted in hypertrophy of vascular walls, necrotic changes in endothelial cells, and narrowing of the vascular lumen. Nicotine treatment resulted in delineation of vascular buds in the vicinity of the vertebral endplate and a reduction of their numbers. However, the control animals showed a dense vascular network. The number of vascular buds decreased in nicotine treatment. CONCLUSION: The authors believe that both reduction in the density of vascular buds and narrowing of the vascular lumen result in decreased oxygen tension, leading to decreased synthesis of proteoglycan and collagen, thus facilitating degeneration of the disc.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Aging and degeneration of the human intervertebral disc.

Human intervertebral discs undergo age-related degenerative changes that contribute to some of the most common causes of impairment and disability for middle aged and older persons: spine stiffness, neck pain, and back pain. Potential causes of the age-related degeneration of intervertebral discs include declining nutrition, loss of viable cells, cell senescence, post-translational modification of matrix proteins, accumulation of degraded matrix molecules, and fatigue failure of the matrix. The most important of these mechanisms appears to be decreasing nutrition of the central disc that allows accumulation of cell waste products and degraded matrix molecules, impairs cell nutrition, and causes a fall in pH levels that further compromises cell function and may cause cell death. Although aging changes of the disc appear to be inevitable, identification of activities and agents that accelerate these changes may help decrease the rate and severity of disc degeneration; and recent work suggests that methods can be developed that will regenerate disc tissue.

Aging↗
PubMed2004

Intervertebral disc cell therapy for regeneration: mesenchymal stem cell implantation in rat intervertebral discs.

This study explores the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for intervertebral disc regeneration. We used an in vivo model to investigate the feasibility of exogenous cell delivery, retention, and survival in the pressurized disc space. MSC injection into rat coccygeal discs was performed using 15% hyaluronan gel as a carrier. Injections of gel with or without MSCs were performed. Immediately after injection, fluorescently labeled stem cells were visible on sections of cell-injected discs. Seven and 14 days after injection, stem cells were still present within the disc, but their numbers were significantly decreased. At 28 days, a return to the initial number of injected cells was observed, and viability was 100%. A trend of increased disc height compared to blank gel suggests an increase in matrix synthesis. The results indicate that MSCs can maintain viability and proliferate within the rat intervertebral disc.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Problems and complications associated with the nonsurgical management of intervertebral disc disease.

Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a common problem encountered in veterinary practice. The primary goal in treating animals with IVDD should be to relieve nerve root and spinal cord compression, thereby retaining or regaining normal neurologic function. Methods of nonsurgical management include corticosteroid medication, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture therapy, and chemonucleolysis. Each one of these modalities have their own inherent advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before instituting therapy.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2000

Intervertebral disc cell apoptosis by nitric oxide: biological understanding of intervertebral disc degeneration.

While the unphysiological mechanical load is a central etiologic factor of disc degeneration, biologic factors including nitric oxide (NO) seems to play an important role in this condition. It is, therefore, investigated whether NO is related to the degeneration of intervertebral disc by way of inducing the disc cell apoptosis. Twelve herniated lumbar disc and eight control specimens were obtained from the patients underwent surgery. Apoptotic cells were identified by TUNEL procedure and the percent apoptotic cell index (ACI%) of each sample was calculated. Detection of iNOS expression was performed by immunohistochemical analysis. Disc cell monolayer culture was prepared from the surgical specimen of the patients with lumbar disc herniation. NO generation of the disc cells was measured by Griess reaction. Cell proliferation was detected by measuring the incorporation of 3H-Thymidine. The extent of fragmented DNA induced by NO donor, NOC-18, was also measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The incidence of apoptotic cell death (ACI%) was greater in the herniated group (61.3 +/- 24.5%) than that of control group (5.6 +/- 6.8%; P < 0.001). iNOS positive disc cells were detected in all the samples. NO production of disc cells was enhanced by the stimulation of IL-1 alpha. Suppression of 3H-Thymidine incorporation and DNA fragmentation in the disc cells were promoted by treatment of 100 microM NOC-18. These results suggest that disc cells are able to release NO and NO may play an important role in the pathogenesis of disc degeneration through the induction of apoptosis of disc cells in situ.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Experimental study on viscoelasticity of spinal lumbar vertebrae (T12-S1) by simulating the operation of excising intervertebral disc and planting bone on back route and the operation of excising intervertebral disc and inserting fusion cage].

According to the physiological characteristics of lumbar vertebrae in Chinese, we designed and made a lumbar vertebral fusion cage of titanium and then engaged in its biomechanical test. T12-S1 of lumbar vertebrae from 18 fresh dead bodies were used. We measured the stress relaxation and the creep effects of the normal group (T12-S1 of intact lumbar vertebrae), the control group 1(simulating operation of excising intervertebral disc and planting bone on the back route) and the control group 2(simulating operation of excising intervertebral disc and inserting fusion cage). The data and stress, strain-time curves under the condition of constant stress and strain were obtained. Regression analysis yielded the reduced stress relaxation and creep functions. Finally, we analyzed and discussed the effects of the operation of excising intervertebral disc and planting bone on the back route and the operation of excising intervertebral disc and inserting fusion cage on the stability of spine.

Elasticity↗
PubMed2001

Intervertebral disc modeling using a MRI method: migration of the nucleus zone within scoliotic intervertebral discs.

MRI is increasingly being used for etiologic examination of scoliosis and for intervertebral disc disorder analysis, but until now has not been applied to geometric modeling. The aim of this study was to develop a new geometric model of intervertebral discs using MRI and to quantify the migration of the nucleus zone within scoliotic intervertebral discs. Fourteen lumbar scoliotic children (Cobb angles 22 +/- 7 degrees ) were examined using MRI. The protocol consisted of sagittal and coronal plane acquisitions of the entire spine. An image processing software allowed the outline detection of the nucleus zone (intervertebral high intensity portion). The vertebral bodies were also reconstructed. Using a pre-post processor, the nucleus zone migration and a wedging angle were quantified. Statistical tests showed the repeatability of the method (p > 0.4). Nucleus zone migration was correlated to the wedging angle (r(2) = 0.488, p < 0.0001) in the coronal plane. Our results were in agreement with the literature: when two vertebrae move deforming the disc, the nucleus moves into the convexity of the curvature. But should we talk about the nucleus? Despite image processing software allowing the highlighting of image features (automatic color lookup tables applied to grayscale images using pixel intensity measurements), it is impossible to differentiate the nucleus from the annulus on T2 weighting images of adolescent spine. This new geometric model of the intervertebral disc, used for the quantification of the nucleus zone migration, should be of interest for further investigation of stiffness parameters of spine.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2005

Expressions of membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase, Ki-67 protein, and type II collagen by chondrocytes migrating from cartilage endplate into nucleus pulposus in rat intervertebral discs: a cartilage endplate-fracture model using an intervertebral disc organ culture.

STUDY DESIGN: Immunohistochemistry was performed in organ-cultured intact and cartilage endplate (CE)-fractured rat intervertebral discs (IVDs). OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate biologic events associated with migration of chondrocytes from hyaline CE into nucleus pulposus (NP). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: It was recently revealed that the transition from a notochordal NP to a fibrocartilaginous NP in the rabbit IVD is accomplished exogenously by chondrocytes migrating from CEs into the NP. This observation has not been studied in other animal models, and the biologic events associated with chondrocyte migration have not been elucidated in the literature. METHODS: IVDs including cranial and caudal CEs were obtained from 4-week, 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month old Wistar rats. To accelerate chondrocyte migration, CEs of IVDs were fractured and cultured for 48 hours. IVDs without CE-fracture were used as a control for each age group. Expressions of membrane-type I matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP, as a marker for cell migration and extracellular matrix digestion) and Ki-67 protein (as a proliferation marker) and pericellular deposition of type II collagen (as a marker for fibrocartilaginous matrix) by the chondrocytes migrating from CE into NP were examined immunohistochemically. RESULTS: In the control groups, chondrocyte migration limited only along the periphery of the notochordal NP and no chondrocytes were inside the NP proper. However, all the IVDs in the CE-fracture groups showed direct and more extensive migration of chondrocytes from CEs into the NP proper. The migrating chondrocytes in both control and CE-fracture groups expressed MT1-MMP and Ki-67 protein and deposited type II collagen in the NP. CONCLUSIONS: This report demonstrates the chondrocyte migration from CE into NP in the organ-cultured rat IVDs. This phenomenon is accelerated in the presence of CE fracture. The chondrocytes migrating from CEs into the NP expressed MT1-MMP and Ki-67 protein and deposited type II collagen. These biologic strategies probably enable chondrocytes of the hyaline CE to migrate into the ectopic NP region, replace notochordal cells, and change the notochordal tissue into fibrocartilage. These results suggest that similar biologic mechanisms may be involved in the natural transition from the notochordal NP to the fibrocartilaginous NP in other animal models, including human.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Capsaicin applied to rat lumbar intervertebral disc causes extravasation in the groin skin: a possible mechanism of referred pain of the intervertebral disc.

Administration of 10 micrograms of capsaicin into the anterior portion of a lumbar intervertebral disc of rats pretreated with Evans blue (i.v.) caused dye extravasation in the groin skin. This phenomenon occurred even when the spinal nerve of the same segment, bilateral sympathetic trunks, and/or the anterior L2 spinal root had been cut; it did not occur in rats with a cut genitofemoral nerve. Infiltration of capsaicin solution directly into the genitofemoral nerve did not cause dye extravasation. These results suggested the presence of dichotomizing sensory C-fibers which innervate both the intervertebral discs and the groin skin in the L2 spinal nerve. If such dichotomizing fibers exist in man, they may contribute to the groin pain sometimes associated with intervertebral disc lesions.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

The effect of lactate and pH on proteoglycan and protein synthesis rates in the intervertebral disc.

The intervertebral disc is the largest avascular tissue in the body. Its metabolism is mainly anaerobic, and thus lactate is produced at a significant rate. As a result the lactate concentrations in the center of the disc may be 8-10 times as high as in the plasma. The pH in the disc center is thus acidic. Because low values of pH are known to affect proteoglycan synthesis in other cartilages, the authors measured the effect of lactate levels and pH on 35S-sulphate and 3H-proline incorporation rates in the nucleus of bovine coccygeal discs and in human disc obtained during percutaneous nucleotomy. The maximum incorporation rate occurred at pH 7.2-pH 6.9. Here the rate was 40-50% greater than at pH 7.4. Below pH 6.8 the rate fell steeply, more so for sulphate than for proline. At pH 6.3 the sulphate incorporation rate was around 20 percent that at pH 7.4. The results indicate that proteoglycan synthesis rates in particular are sensitive to extracellular pH, and that the peak rate occurs around the level of pH seen in vivo. Factors that cause lactate levels to rise, such as a fall in O2 levels as the result of smoking or vibration (Holm and Nachemson, 1988) could lead to a fall in proteoglycan synthesis rates, ultimately leading to a fall in proteoglycan content and to disc degeneration.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Serial changes of herniated intervertebral discs after posterior lumbar discectomy: the relation between magnetic resonance imaging of the postoperative intervertebral discs and clinical outcome.

To evaluate the relation between the morphologic changes of postoperative intervertebral discs and the clinical outcome after posterior lumbar discectomy, the size of the bulging disc was analyzed prospectively on serial follow-up magnetic resonance images in 26 randomly selected patients. The bulging of postoperative intervertebral discs involved three patterns of reduction: early reduction (n = 15), gradual reduction (n = 6), and late reduction (n = 5). There was a significant difference in the serial changes of subjective symptoms and neurologic function among the three patterns. A late reduction of postoperative disc bulging could cause late recovery of subjective symptoms and neurologic disturbance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

In vitro 1H NMR "mapping" of human intervertebral discs.

Human intervertebral discs were investigated by 1H NMR in vitro. The measured parameters of samples differently located in discs give the "maps" of discs. The spin-lattice relaxation-time maps show similar structure to dry matter and bound water maps, which might mean the future possibility to detect certain disc processes via accurate T1 images.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A preliminary study of mechanically stress-induced changes in the extracellular matrix of the canine intervertebral disc.

The intervertebral discs of a young (age, 3 years) and an old (age, 8 years) dog were isolated as motion segments and cyclically stressed in physiologic nondestructive axial compression loads. Chemical analysis of the matrix of the annulus fibrosus revealed a shift in proteoglycan molecular size from larger to smaller moieties for the older dog but not for the younger. These preliminary results may indicate an age-related inability of the disc to tolerate cyclic stress.

Aging↗
PubMed1978

Staining of glycosaminoglycans of intervertebral disc tissue.

Intervertebral discs of six species were stained with Alcian blue and PAS methods to identify glycosaminoglycans. The polyanions are most concentrated in 'ring-like' pericellular areas and in material lying between individual lamellae and bundles of collagen. A slight increase occurs early in life and towards the disc centre. The concentration of glycosaminoglycans cannot be correlated with species which are known to suffer from clinical disc disease, though there appears to be a higher concentration in the discs of the cat and dog than in other species studied.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Effects of low oxygen concentrations and metabolic inhibitors on proteoglycan and protein synthesis rates in the intervertebral disc.

The intervertebral disc is the largest asvacular structure in the body; consequently, there are steep gradients in O2 concentration, with PO2 falling to as low as 1% O2 in the centre of the disc. We investigated the effect of O2 concentration on the rates of O2 consumption, lactate production, and sulphate and proline incorporation in bovine caudal discs. We also investigated the effects of metabolic inhibitors of energy production pathways on tracer incorporation. Samples from the outer annulus and nucleus pulposus were incubated for 24 hours in 1-21% O2. Rates were measured during the last 4 hours of incubation. As O2 concentration was reduced from 10 to 1% O2, O2 consumption rates fell by around 75% and lactate production rates almost doubled; the bovine discs thus showed a positive progressive Pasteur effect. Incorporation rates of [3H]proline and [35S]sulphate were lowest at 1% O2. In the nucleus, but not in the outer annulus, the rate of [35S]incorporation peaked at 5% O2, where it was 30% greater than at 21% O2 and 150% greater than at 1% O2. The competitive glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose, the oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol, and the oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor sodium azide all markedly reduced sulphate incorporation. These results, together with previous measurements of CO2 production rates, suggest that a functionally significant fraction of the disc's energy is supplied by oxidative phosphorylation. However, low levels of PO2, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and sodium azide have been reported to reduce sulphate incorporation in articular cartilage, a tissue that derives its energy almost entirely from glycolysis.

2,4-Dinitrophenol↗
PubMed2003

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc.

The intervertebral disc is a cartilaginous structure that resembles articular cartilage in its biochemistry, but morphologically it is clearly different. It shows degenerative and ageing changes earlier than does any other connective tissue in the body. It is believed to be important clinically because there is an association of disc degeneration with back pain. Current treatments are predominantly conservative or, less commonly, surgical; in many cases there is no clear diagnosis and therapy is considered inadequate. New developments, such as genetic and biological approaches, may allow better diagnosis and treatments in the future.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Thoracic intervertebral disc protrusions.

Intervertebral disc protrusions occur most frequently in the lumbar spine, much less frequently in the cervical spine and very rarely in the thoracic spine. The symptomatology of thoracic protrusions is both aspecific and polymorphic. The diagnosis is therefore difficult and necessarily depends on myelography and computerised axial tomography (CAT scanning). The treatment is surgical and should be undertaken early if pain and neurological damage are to be relieved.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Programmed cell death in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is largely a process of destruction and failure of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and symptomatic IVD degeneration is thought to be one of the leading causes of morbidity or life quality deterioration in the elderly. To date, however, the mechanism of IVD degeneration is still not fully understood. Cellular loss from cell death in the process of IVD degeneration has long been confirmed and considered to contribute to ECM degradation, but the causes and the manners of IVD cell death remain unclear. Programmed cell death (PCD) is executed by an active cellular process and is extensively involved in many physiological and pathological processes, including embryonic development and human degenerative diseases. Thus, the relationship between PCD and IVD degeneration has become a new research focus of interest in recent years. By reviewing the available literature concentrated on PCD in IVD and discussing the methodology of detecting PCD in IVD cells, its inducing factors, the relationship of cell death to ECM degradation, and the potential therapy for IVD degeneration by modulation of PCD, we conclude that IVD cells undergo PCD via different signal transduction pathways in response to different stimuli, that PCD may play a role in the process of IVD degeneration, and that modulation of PCD might be a potential therapeutic strategy for IVD degeneration.

Animals↗