Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration can be induced by many factors, the research on changing regular of aquaporins in the lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration is rarely reported.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the expression of aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 3 in normal lumbar intervertebral disc tissue and degenerative lumbar intervertebral disc tissue.
METHODS: Fifteen cases of normal lumbar intervertebral disc tissue from surgical intervention for lumbar bursting fracture and 15 patients with lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration were collected from the Department of orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Dali University. The expressions of aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 3 were tested by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry method, and the mean absorbance values of aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 3 were measured.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed the limpid structures of lumbar intervertebral disc tissue and collagen fibrins in control group, the lumbar intervertebral disc tissues were mild edema without mucoid degerenation; in the lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration group, the structure of lumbar intervertebral disc tissue was blear and mussy, hyperplastic collagen fibers, serious inflammatory edema and mucoid degerenation could be seen. Immunohistochemical staining showed mean optical density of aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 3 in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The decreasing of aquaporin 1 and aquaporin 3 expression may be the reason of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration.