title: Protective effect of ligustrazine on lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration of rats induced by prolonged upright posture.
abstract: Most chronic low back pain is the result of degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral disc. Ligustrazine, an alkaloid from Chuanxiong, reportedly is able to relieve pain, suppress inflammation, and treat osteoarthritis and it has the protective effect on cartilage and chondrocytes. Therefore, we asked whether ligustrazine could reduce intervertebral disc degeneration. To determine the effect of ligustrazine on disc degeneration, we applied a rat model. The intervertebral disc degeneration of the rats was induced by prolonged upright posture. We found that pretreatment with ligustrazine for 1 month recovered the structural distortion of the degenerative disc; inhibited the expression of type X collagen, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, and MMP3; upregulated type II collagen; and decreased IL-1 β , cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. In conclusion, ligustrazine is a promising agent for treating lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration disease.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qian-Qian
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dao-Fang
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Jie
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Guang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Spine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 Wan-Ping South Road, Shanghai 200032, China ; Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang