title: Expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in primary cultures of rabbit intervertebral disc cells.
abstract: Macrophages are considered essential for herniated disc resorption, and chemokines may play a role in their recruitment. Here we demonstrate that intervertebral disc cells are capable of producing monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a CC chemokine that is chemotactic for macrophages. Nucleus pulposus cells and anulus fibrosus cells were harvested from intervertebral discs of healthy rabbits, and the cells were stimulated with either interleukin (IL)-1beta or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that IL-1beta and TNFalpha induced mRNA expression for MCP-1 in nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells. Protein concentrations of MCP-1 in the culture supernatants were quantitated by fluoroimmunoassay, which showed that nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells dose- and time-dependently produced MCP-1 after IL-1beta- and TNFalpha-stimulation, an event that was completely abrogated by IL-1 receptor antagonist and anti-TNFalpha monoclonal antibody, respectively. Nucleus pulposus cells produced significantly higher levels of MCP-1 than did anulus fibrosus cells. Immunohistochemically, the intensity of MCP-1 positive cells in nucleus pulposus cells was stronger than that in anulus fibrosus cells. Altogether, our data clearly demonstrated the production of MCP-1 in intervertebral disc cells, suggesting the possible involvement of disc cells in an early stage of macrophage infiltration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan. 995m9070@med.stud.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Katsumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsukawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha