title: Expression of neural and neurotrophic markers in nucleus pulposus cells isolated from degenerated intervertebral disc.
abstract: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a common disorder of the lower spine. Since it is caused by loss of cellularity, there is interest in the comprehension of the cellular phenotypes. This study aimed to verify if stem cells isolated from nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs (NPs-IVD), which may express neurogenic properties, may be implicated in IVD disease. NPs-IVD isolated from 14 human pathological discs were cultured under mesenchymal and neural differentiation. An induction of the neural markers GFAP, NF, MAP2, O4, and a decrement of the expression of the immature neural markers β-tubulin III, Nestin, NG2, occurred within the neural differentiation. The expression of TrkA and p75NGFR, the receptors of NGF, was not correlated with neural induction; in contrast, TrkB, the BDNF receptor, increased and was co-expressed with acid sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3). In the same condition, neuroinflammatory markers were over-expressed. We confirm our hypothesis that stem cells within IVD degeneration acquire neurogenic phenotype, causing the induction of markers related to inflammatory condition. These cells could promote the enrolment of neurotrophines in adaptation to the acidic microenvironment in degenerative conditions. These data could improve our knowledge about IVD cellularity and eventually lead to the development of pharmacological therapies.
authors.affiliation: The Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, Cerebrovascular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Foundation Neurological Institute "C. Besta", via Celoria, 11 20133 Milan, Italy. stefania.navone@istituto-besta.it
authors.forename: Stefania E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Navone
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marfia
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Canzi
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciusani
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canazza
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Visintini
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campanella
authors.forename: Eugenio A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Parati
mesh_terms: D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D055495:Neurogenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000378:metabolism; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C112231:ASIC3 protein, human; D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D015415:Biomarkers; C489788:MAP2 protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D015222:Sodium Channels; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D020813:Receptor, trkB