Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases lead to matrix components disorders and change the function through the influence on matrix synthesis and degradation in the disc degeneration.
OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in degenerative human intervertebral disc.
METHODS: Thirty intervertebral disk samples were selected from the prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc patients in surgery. Experimental group was made from 30 cases with lumbar disc protrusion disease and control group was made from 10 cases of lumbar spine fracture in traumatic. Experimental group included protrusion, extrusion and sequestration type, 10 samples in each type and the nucleus pulposus and annulus were separated. The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of MMP-1 in nucleus cells and fiber ring.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: ①Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that intervertebral disc specimen fiber ring still maintained a dense lamellar structure in the control group and the intervertebral disc tissue present fibrotic changes in the experimental group. ②The expression of MMP-1 in nucleus cells of two groups were higher than those in the fibrous ring. ③The expression of MMP-1 in the protrusion specimen of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group (P < 0.01), and MMP-1 expression in extrusion type and sequestration type specimen was significantly higher than that in the protrusion specimen (P < 0.01).