Oxygen Consumption Rate of Human Intervertebral Disc Cells

INTRODUCTION The intervertebral disc (IVD) is the largest avascular structure in the human body, and is comprised of three major components: the annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and cartilaginous end-plate (CEP). Compromised disc nutrition is believed to be the key factor in the development of disc degeneration which has hampered previous tissue engineering or repair efforts. The balance between the rate of nutrient transport through the matrix and the rate of consumption by disc cells determines the local nutrient concentration gradient within the IVD. Previous studies have shown a dependence of oxygen consumption rates (OCR) for animal IVD cells on oxygen tension, pH levels, and glucose concentrations [1-3]. However, the OCR of human IVD cells has not been investigated in this same manner. The objective of this study is to determine the OCR of human IVD cells at various glucose concentrations and to examine differences in OCR among the AF, NP and CEP cells.