Zhang C, Tong T, Miao DC, Wang LF. Vitamin D inhibits TNF-α induced apoptosis of human nucleus pulposus cells through regulation of NF-kB signaling pathway.
J Orthop Surg Res 2021;
16:411. [PMID:
34183042 PMCID:
PMC8237490 DOI:
10.1186/s13018-021-02545-9]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
To observe the effects of vitamin D on the apoptotic human nucleus pulposus cells under tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) treatment.
METHODS
The gene expression data was downloaded from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE34095 ). Differentially expressed genes between degenerative disc and non-degenerative disc were performed by R software. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Then, the human nucleus pulposus tissue was harvested from 12 patients according to the modified Pfirrmann classification and human nucleus pulposus cells were obtained from digestion of herniated nucleus pulposus tissue. The collected nucleus pulposus cells were treated with different concentration of TNF-α, and cellular apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Then, human nucleus pulposus cells were divided into following groups: normal culture medium, TNF-α treated, TNF-α, and vitamin D-treated groups. Cellular apoptosis rate was quantified by flow cytometry. Protein expression of p-p65, p65, and IkBa was detected with western blot analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 536 differentially expressed genes were identified through bioinformatic analysis. KEGG pathway revealed that NF-kB signaling pathway was involved in the process of disc degeneration. In the NP cell cultures, vitamin D significantly increased cell proliferation potency. Furthermore, vitamin D inhibited TNF-α induced apoptosis of human nucleus pulposus cells. Vitamin D reduced the phospho-NF-κB/p65 expression in the TNF-α-treated NP cells.
CONCLUSION
Vitamin D can attenuate TNF-α-induced NP cells apoptosis through interfering with the NF-κB pathway.
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