Rho-Associated Kinase Inhibitor Immortalizes Rat Nucleus Pulposus and Annulus Fibrosus Cells

Differential Characterization of Two Kinds of Stem Cells Isolated from Rabbit Nucleus Pulposus and Annulus Fibrosus

Objective. Nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) are two main components of intervertebral disc (IVD). We aimed to figure out whether NP and AF also contain stem cells and whether these stem cells share common properties with chondrocytes and/or fibroblasts in their phenotypes or whether they are completely different types of cells with different characteristics. Design. The disk cell...

Compartmentalization of the matrix formed by nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus cells in alginate gel.

Intervertebral disc cells cultured in alginate gel are capable of reforming in alginate, a matrix that consists of two compartments: a rim of metabolically active cell-associated matrix and a more abundant, but metabolically less active, further removed matrix. At any one age and in most species, the cell-associated matrix formed by a nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosus cell cultured in this w...

Autophagy in rat annulus fibrosus cells: evidence and possible implications

INTRODUCTION Programmed cell death of intervertebral disc (IVD) cells plays an important role in IVD degeneration, but the role of autophagy, a closely related cell death event, in IVD cells has not been documented. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of interleukin (IL)-1β on the occurrence of autophagy of rat annulus fibrosus (AF) cells and the interrelationship between a...

0201 - Osteogenic Protein-1 Is Most Effective in Stimulating Nucleus Pulposus and Annulus Fibrosus Cells to Repair Their Matrix after Chondroitinase Abc-induced Chemonucleolysis

*Takegami, K., Masuda, K., **Kumano, F., ***An, H., ****Chiba, K., ***Pankaj, D., *****Sampath, T.K., +Thonar, E.J-M.A., *Depts. of Biochemistry and Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL, +Depts. of Biochemistry, Orthopedic Surgery and Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, 1653 W. Co...

The small proteoglycan biglycan regulates growth factor/cytokine –induced signaling in annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus cells of the intervertebral disc