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Zhang X, Zhang Z, Zou X, Wang Y, Qi J, Han S, Xin J, Zheng Z, Wei L, Zhang T, Zhang S. Unraveling the mechanisms of intervertebral disc degeneration: an exploration of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1324561. [PMID: 38313000 PMCID: PMC10834758 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1324561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) is a worldwide spinal degenerative disease. Low back pain (LBP) is frequently caused by a variety of conditions brought on by IDD, including IVD herniation and spinal stenosis, etc. These conditions bring substantial physical and psychological pressure and economic burden to patients. IDD is closely tied with the structural or functional changes of the IVD tissue and can be caused by various complex factors like senescence, genetics, and trauma. The IVD dysfunction and structural changes can result from extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, differentiation, inflammation, oxidative stress, mechanical stress, and senescence of IVD cells. At present, the treatment of IDD is basically to alleviate the symptoms, but not from the pathophysiological changes of IVD. Interestingly, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway is involved in many processes of IDD, including inflammation, ECM degradation, apoptosis, senescence, proliferation, oxidative stress, and autophagy. These activities in degenerated IVD tissue are closely relevant to the development trend of IDD. Hence, the p38 MAPK signaling pathway may be a fitting curative target for IDD. In order to better understand the pathophysiological alterations of the intervertebral disc tissue during IDD and offer potential paths for targeted treatments for intervertebral disc degeneration, this article reviews the purpose of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in IDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingmin Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Zilin Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaosong Zou
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Yongjie Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Jinwei Qi
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Song Han
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Jingguo Xin
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Zhi Zheng
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Lin Wei
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
| | - Tianhui Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shaokun Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Center of Orthopedics, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Engineering Research Center for Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Changchun, China
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Du X, Liang K, Ding S, Shi H. Signaling Mechanisms of Stem Cell Therapy for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2467. [PMID: 37760908 PMCID: PMC10525468 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the primary clinical risk factor for low back pain and the pathological cause of disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and spinal deformity. A possible approach to improve the clinical practice of IDD-related diseases is to incorporate biomarkers in diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and prognosis prediction. IDD pathology is still unclear. Regarding molecular mechanisms, cellular signaling pathways constitute a complex network of signaling pathways that coordinate cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and metabolism. Recently, stem cells have shown great potential in clinical applications for IDD. In this review, the roles of multiple signaling pathways and related stem cell treatment in IDD are summarized and described. This review seeks to investigate the mechanisms and potential therapeutic effects of stem cells in IDD and identify new therapeutic treatments for IDD-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Haifei Shi
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; (X.D.); (K.L.); (S.D.)
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Wang Y, Cheng H, Wang T, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Kang X. Oxidative stress in intervertebral disc degeneration: Molecular mechanisms, pathogenesis and treatment. Cell Prolif 2023; 56:e13448. [PMID: 36915968 PMCID: PMC10472537 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of labour loss and disability worldwide, and it also imposes a severe economic burden on patients and society. Among symptomatic LBP, approximately 40% is caused by intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). IDD is the pathological basis of many spinal degenerative diseases such as disc herniation and spinal stenosis. Currently, the therapeutic approaches for IDD mainly include conservative treatment and surgical treatment, neither of which can solve the problem from the root by terminating the degenerative process of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Therefore, further exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of IDD and adopting targeted therapeutic strategies is one of the current research hotspots. Among the complex pathophysiological processes and pathogenic mechanisms of IDD, oxidative stress is considered as the main pathogenic factor. The delicate balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants is essential for maintaining the normal function and survival of IVD cells. Excessive ROS levels can cause damage to macromolecules such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins of cells, affect normal cellular activities and functions, and ultimately lead to cell senescence or death. This review discusses the potential role of oxidative stress in IDD to further understand the pathophysiological processes and pathogenic mechanisms of IDD and provides potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of IDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidian Wang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Honghui HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Huiguang Cheng
- Department of Joint Surgery, Honghui HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Honghui HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Honghui HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Yumin Zhang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Honghui HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Xin Kang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Honghui HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
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Li Z, Ye D, Dai L, Xu Y, Wu H, Luo W, Liu Y, Yao X, Wang P, Miao H, Xu J, Liang W. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals the Difference in Human Normal and Degenerative Nucleus Pulposus Tissue Profiles and Cellular Interactions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:910626. [PMID: 35874809 PMCID: PMC9301035 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.910626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The nucleus pulposus is a constituent structure of the human intervertebral disc, and its degeneration can cause intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved remain elusive. Methods: Through bioinformatics analysis, the single-cell transcriptome sequencing expression profiles of human normal nucleus pulposus (NNP) cells and human degenerative nucleus pulposus (DNP) cells were compared to clarify the transcriptome differential expression profiles of human NNP and DNP. The single-cell sequencing results of the two samples were analyzed using bioinformatics methods to compare the differences in histiocytosis between human NNP and DNP, map the histiocytes of NNP and DNP, perform cell differentiation trajectories for the cell populations of interest and predict cell function, and explore their heterogeneity by pathway analysis and Gene Ontology analysis. Results: Nine cell types were identified, which were chondrocyte 1, chondrocyte 2, chondrocyte 3, chondrocyte 4, chondrocyte 5, endothelial, macrophage, neutrophil, and T cells. Analysis of the proportion of chondrocytes in different tissues revealed that chondrocyte 1 accounted for a higher proportion of NNP cells and highly expressed COL2A1 compared with DNP cells; chondrocyte 2, chondrocyte 3, chondrocyte 4, and chondrocyte 5 accounted for a higher proportion of DNP cells compared with NNP cells. Among them, chondrocyte 2 was an inhibitory calcified chondrocyte with high expression of MGP, chondrocytes 3 were fibrochondrocytes with high expression of COL1A1, chondrocytes 4 were chondrocytes that highly express pain inflammatory genes such as PTGES, and chondrocytes 5 were calcified chondrocytes with high expression of FN1 (chondrocytes 4 and chondrocytes 5 were found for the first time in a study of single-cell transcriptome sequencing of disc tissue). Cell trajectory analysis revealed that chondrocyte 1 was at the beginning of the trajectory and chondrocyte 3 was at the end of the trajectory, while chondrocyte 5 appeared first in the trajectory relative to chondrocyte 2 and chondrocyte 4. Conclusion: After functional identification of the specifically expressed genes in five chondrocytes, it was found that chondrocyte 1 was a chondrocyte with high expression of COL2A1, COL9A2, COL11A2, and CHRDL2 in a high proportion of NNP cells, and chondrocyte 3 was a fibrochondrocyte with high expression of COL1A1, COL6A3, COL1A2, COL3A1, AQP1, and COL15A1 in an increased proportion during nucleus pulposus cell degeneration. Through cell trajectory analysis, it was found that chondrocytes 5 specifically expressing FN1, SESN2, and GDF15 may be the key cells leading to degeneration of nucleus pulposus cells. Chondrocytes 2 expressing MGP, MT1G, and GPX3 may play a role in reversing calcification and degeneration, and chondrocytes 4 expressing PTGES, TREM1, and TIMP1 may play a role in disc degeneration pain and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhencong Li
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongping Ye
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Dongping Ye, ; Haixiong Miao, ; Jiake Xu, ; Weiguo Liang,
| | - Libing Dai
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yude Xu
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Luo
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiming Liu
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiguan Yao
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peigeng Wang
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haixiong Miao
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Dongping Ye, ; Haixiong Miao, ; Jiake Xu, ; Weiguo Liang,
| | - Jiake Xu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia,*Correspondence: Dongping Ye, ; Haixiong Miao, ; Jiake Xu, ; Weiguo Liang,
| | - Weiguo Liang
- Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital, Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Dongping Ye, ; Haixiong Miao, ; Jiake Xu, ; Weiguo Liang,
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Loveridge CJ, van 't Hof RJ, Charlesworth G, King A, Tan EH, Rose L, Daroszewska A, Prior A, Ahmad I, Welsh M, Mui EJ, Ford C, Salji M, Sansom O, Blyth K, Leung HY. Analysis of Nkx3.1:Cre-driven Erk5 deletion reveals a profound spinal deformity which is linked to increased osteoclast activity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13241. [PMID: 29038439 PMCID: PMC5643304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13346-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 5 (ERK5) has been implicated during development and carcinogenesis. Nkx3.1-mediated Cre expression is a useful strategy to genetically manipulate the mouse prostate. While grossly normal at birth, we observed an unexpected phenotype of spinal protrusion in Nkx3.1:Cre;Erk5 fl/fl (Erk5 fl/fl) mice by ~6-8 weeks of age. X-ray, histological and micro CT (µCT) analyses showed that 100% of male and female Erk5 fl/fl mice had a severely deformed curved thoracic spine, with an associated loss of trabecular bone volume. Although sex-specific differences were observed, histomorphometry measurements revealed that both bone resorption and bone formation parameters were increased in male Erk5 fl/fl mice compared to wild type (WT) littermates. Osteopenia occurs where the rate of bone resorption exceeds that of bone formation, so we investigated the role of the osteoclast compartment. We found that treatment of RANKL-stimulated primary bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) cultures with small molecule ERK5 pathway inhibitors increased osteoclast numbers. Furthermore, osteoclast numbers and expression of osteoclast marker genes were increased in parallel with reduced Erk5 expression in cultures generated from Erk5 fl/fl mice compared to WT mice. Collectively, these results reveal a novel role for Erk5 during bone maturation and homeostasis in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J Loveridge
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Rob J van 't Hof
- Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, WH Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK.
| | - Gemma Charlesworth
- Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, WH Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Ayala King
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Ee Hong Tan
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Lorraine Rose
- Centre for Molecular Medicine, MRC IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Anna Daroszewska
- Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, WH Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Amanda Prior
- Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, WH Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - Imran Ahmad
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Michelle Welsh
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Ernest J Mui
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Catriona Ford
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Mark Salji
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Owen Sansom
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Karen Blyth
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Hing Y Leung
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK.
- Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK.
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Jiang W, Zhang X, Hao J, Shen J, Fang J, Dong W, Wang D, Zhang X, Shui W, Luo Y, Lin L, Qiu Q, Liu B, Hu Z. SIRT1 protects against apoptosis by promoting autophagy in degenerative human disc nucleus pulposus cells. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7456. [PMID: 25503852 PMCID: PMC4264007 DOI: 10.1038/srep07456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
SIRT1 could protect degenerative human NP cells against apoptosis, and there were extensive and intimate connection between apoptosis and autophagy. Up to now, the role of autophagy in the process of human IVD degeneration is unclear. We sought to explore the relationship between autophagy and human IVD degeneration and to understand whether autophagy is involved in the protective effect of SIRT1 against apoptosis in NP cells. Our results showed that the autophagosomes number, the mRNA level of LC3 and Beclin-1, the protein expression of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1, decreased in NP from DDD. Resveratrol could increase the protein expression of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1, and reduce apoptosis in degenerative NP cells. In contrast, the protein levels of LC3-II/I and Beclin-1 were down-regulated and apoptosis level was significantly up-regulated in treatment with nicotinamide or SIRT1-siRNA transfection. Further analysis identified that the expression of cleaved Caspase3 and apoptosis incidence significantly increased with the pretreatment of bafilomycin A, whether resveratrol was added or not. These suggested that autophagy may play an important role in IVD degeneration, and SIRT1 protected degenerative human NP cells against apoptosis via promoting autophagy. These findings would aid in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for degenerative disc disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jiang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Hao
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jieliang Shen
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ji Fang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wen Dong
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dawu Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd., Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Shui
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liangbo Lin
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Quanhe Qiu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhenming Hu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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