Quantitative differences in intervertebral disc–matrix composition with age-related degeneration

This study was carried out to determine the effect of age on the intervertebral disc, using a rabbit model. Anulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus tissue from New Zealand white rabbits aged 3 years old (old rabbits) and 6 months old (young rabbits) were used. The water content, the proteoglycan, the DNA content, and the mRNA levels of aggrecan, type I collagen, and type II collagen were all measured for each sample. Water, proteoglycan, DNA, and the mRNA levels of aggrecan and type II collagen were all greater in the nucleus pulposus of the young rabbits as compared to the old. For the anulus fibrosus, the difference between young and old is less marked with only proteoglycan and DNA being greater in the young disc as compared to the old. Clearly, according to our results, it is the nucleus pulposus that suffers the brunt of the changes with age.

[1]  M. Esterman,et al.  Microdetermination of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride. , 1987, Analytical biochemistry.

[2]  L. Margolin,et al.  Variables affecting disc size in the lumbar spine of rabbits: Anesthesia, paralysis, and disc injury , 1991, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[3]  Helen Muir,et al.  Proteoglycans in Experimental Intervertebral Disc Degeneration , 1981 .

[4]  Korovessis Pg,et al.  Comparison of surgical specimens with normal controls. , 1999 .

[5]  G B Andersson,et al.  A model to study the disc degeneration process. , 1994, Spine.

[6]  Mauro Alini,et al.  Apparent diffusion coefficient of intervertebral discs related to matrix composition and integrity. , 2004, Magnetic resonance imaging.

[7]  Kevin F. Spratt,et al.  Classification of Age-Related Changes in Lumbar Intervertebral Discs , 2002 .

[8]  H E Gruber,et al.  Analysis of Aging and Degeneration of the Human Intervertebral Disc: Comparison of Surgical Specimens With Normal Controls , 1998, Spine.

[9]  E. Thonar,et al.  Changes in mRNA and Protein Levels of Proteoglycans of the Anulus Fibrosus and Nucleus Pulposus During Intervertebral Disc Degeneration , 2002, Spine.

[10]  B. Kaphalia,et al.  Torsional injury resulting in disc degeneration: I. An in vivo rabbit model. , 1998, Journal of spinal disorders.

[11]  A. Grodzinsky,et al.  Fluorometric assay of DNA in cartilage explants using Hoechst 33258. , 1988, Analytical biochemistry.

[12]  Koichi Masuda,et al.  Age-Related Changes in the Extracellular Matrix of Nucleus Pulposus and Anulus Fibrosus of Human Intervertebral Disc , 2009, Spine.

[13]  S. Ayad,et al.  1991 Volvo Award in Basic Sciences: Collagen Types Around the Cells of the Intervertebral Disc and Cartilage End Plate: An Immunolocalization Study , 1991, Spine.

[14]  Max Aebi,et al.  Immunolocalization of major interstitial collagen types in human lumbar intervertebral discs of various ages , 1998, Virchows Archiv.

[15]  J. Weinstein,et al.  Stimulation of Dorsal Root Ganglia and Degradation of Rabbit Annulus Fibrosus , 1990, Spine.

[16]  J A Buckwalter,et al.  Aging and degeneration of the human intervertebral disc. , 1995, Spine.

[17]  Christoph Weiler,et al.  Classification of Age-Related Changes in Lumbar Intervertebral Discs: 2002 Volvo Award in Basic Science , 2002, Spine.

[18]  W. Akeson,et al.  Collagens, elastin and noncollagenous protein of the intervertebral disk. , 1977, Clinical orthopaedics and related research.

[19]  G. Pike,et al.  Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of degenerative disc disease , 1998, Magnetic resonance in medicine.

[20]  M. Aebi,et al.  The human lumbar intervertebral disc: evidence for changes in the biosynthesis and denaturation of the extracellular matrix with growth, maturation, ageing, and degeneration. , 1996, The Journal of clinical investigation.

[21]  S. Roberts,et al.  Analysis of aging and degeneration of the human intervertebral disc. , 1999, Spine.

[22]  James D. Kang,et al.  Characterization of Intervertebral Disc Aging: Longitudinal Analysis of a Rabbit Model by Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Histology, and Gene Expression , 2008, Spine.