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Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: Liuwei Dihuang Pills (LWPs), a famous Chinese prescription for replenishing the liver and kidney, have achieved good effect in the treatment of backache. However, the mechanism underlying LWPs treating backache with kidney deficiency is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of LWPs on extracellular matrix components of rabbit intervertebral disc degeneration models in vitro, and to explore the effect of LWPs in the prevention and treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: Totally 100 L1-6 intervertebral discs with endplate removed from 20 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), p38-JNK/SAPK blocked, LWPs, and combination groups (n=20 per group). 2 μL of 10 mg/L TNF-α, 10 μL of 20 μmol/L SB203580 (specific inhibitor of p38MAPK) and SP600125 (inhibitor of JNK), 10% LWPs serum, 10% LWPs combined with 2 μL of 10 mg/L TNF-α were added into the medium of the corresponding group. Samples were collected at 2, 4, 6 and 14 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The addition of TNF-α significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of collagen type I, while significantly downregulated the levels of glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate/keratan sulfate ratio, as well as the protein and mRNA expression levels of proteoglycan and collagen type II (P < 0.05). LWPs could partly reverse the changes caused by TNF-α, indicating that LWPs can alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: JNKs and p38 MAPK, as important members of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), play critical roles in the cell proliferation, differentiation, transformation and apoptosis. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Liuwei Dihuang Pill on the MAPK signaling cascade of nucleus pulposus cells in a rabbit model of intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: 100 discs samples with endplate cartilages were equivalently randomized into five groups and cultured in the medium containing 10 mg/L tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, 2 μL), p38-JNK/SAPK blockers (10 μL of 20 μmol/L SB203580 and SP600125, 2 μL of 10 μmol/L TNF-α), 10% Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum, 10 mg/L TNF-α (2 μL) plus 10% Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum, respectively. Those cells received no intervention as controls. Samples were collected and detected at 2, 4, 8 and 14 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Real time-PCR and western blot assay showed that mRNA and protein expressions of JNK and P38 pathways by the nucleus pulposus cells were upregulated with time, while all above indicators were significantly decreased by the Liuwei Dihuang Pill serum. These findings reveal that Liuwei Dihuang Pill can delay the process of disc degeneration by blocking JNK and P38 signaling pathways, thus exerting protective effect on the intervertebral discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]