Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Integrated cartilage endplate structure maintains its normal physiological function and then affects the physical and pathological conditions of the entire intervertebral disc. Proteoglycan is the main component of cartilage endplate.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of liuwei dihuang wan (LWDHW)-containing serum on proteoglycan content in cartilage endplates of tumor necorsis factor α (TNF-α)-induced injury rabbits.
METHODS: Intervertebral discs with cartilage endplate were harvested from T12-L2 of 12 rabbits and then were randomly divided into four groups: control 1st day, control 14th day, TNF-α, and TNF-α + LWDHW-containing serum. In the TNF-α group, 5 μg/L TNF-α was added. In the TNF-α + LWDHW-containing serum group, 5 μg/L TNF-α and 10% LWDHW-containing serum were added. Then a 14-day culture was performed.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: With prolongation of culture time, the number of cartilage endplates was decreased, cellular structure was obviously changed, and collagen content in extracellular matrix was decreased. With addition of TNF-α, collagen content decreased more faster and some crannies appeared. LWDHW-containing serum could delay this process. With prolongation of culture time, the ultrastructure of cartilage endplate was gradually destroyed, TNF-α could aggravate the damage, and LWDHW-containing serum could minimize the damage. With prolongation of culture time, proteoglycan content, chondroitin sulfate, keratan sulfate and hyaluronic acid levels in the cartilage endplates were declined in each group. The decline in the TNF-α group was most obvious (compared to the control group in 14th day, P < 0.05), and LWDHW-containing serum could postpone the decline of biochemical component levels (compared to TNF-α group, P < 0.05). These findings suggest that LWDHW-containing serum can protect the ultrastructure of cartilage endplate and stabilize the levels of biochemical components, thereby exhibiting protective effects on cartilage endplate of intervertebral discs.