Effect of Static Load on the Nucleus Pulposus of Rabbit Intervertebral Disc Motion Segment in an Organ Culture

• Published in: BioMed research international 2016-01, Vol.2016 (2016), p.1-10
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ping, Zhu, Liguo, Feng, Minshan, Zhan, Jia-Wen, Yu, Jie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biomechanics; Collagen; Collagen Type II - biosynthesis; Disease Models, Animal; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Extracellular Matrix - pathology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Hospitals; Immunohistochemistry; Intervertebral Disc - metabolism; Intervertebral Disc - pathology; Intervertebral Disc - physiopathology; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration - metabolism; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration - pathology; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration - physiopathology; Laboratory animals; Load; Rabbits; Stress, Mechanical; Studies; Weight-Bearing
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2016/2481712

The development of mechanically active culture systems helps in understanding of the role of mechanical stress in intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Motion segment cultures facilitate the application and control of mechanical loads. The purpose of this study was to establish a culturing method for rabbit IVD motion segments to observe the effect of static load on the whole disc organ. Segments were cultured in custom-made apparatuses under a constant, compressive load (3 kg) for 2 weeks. Tissue integrity, matrix synthesis, and matrix gene expression profile were assessed and compared with fresh one. The results showed ex vivo culturing of samples gradually destroyed the morphology. Proteoglycan contents and gene expression were decreased and downregulated obviously. However, immunohistochemical staining intensity and collagen type II gene expression were significantly enhanced and upregulated. In contrast, these trends were reversed under constant compression. These results indicated short-term static load stimulated the synthesis of type II collagen; however, constant compression led to progressive degeneration and specifically to proteoglycan. Through this study a loading and organ-culturing system for ex vivo rabbit IVD motion segments was developed, which can be used to study the effects of mechanical stimulation on the biology of IVDs and the pathomechanics of IVD degeneration.