Fig. 2: Exercise accelerated the degenerative process of IVDs from surgical lumbar instability, similar to the clinical degeneration process. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Exercise accelerated the degenerative process of IVDs from surgical lumbar instability, similar to the clinical degeneration process.

From: Self-powered triboelectric-responsive microneedles with controllable release of optogenetically engineered extracellular vesicles for intervertebral disc degeneration repair

Fig. 2

A Schematic workflow for the establishment of a surgically LSI rat model and exercise intervention (n = 5 rats per group) (Created with BioRender.com). B X-ray, µCT, and MR images of the lumbar from rats undergoing sham surgery (Sham) or LSI surgery with (LSI-E) or without exercise intervention (LSI) for 8 weeks. C H&E staining and D SO&FG staining of lumbar 4th–lumbar 5th (L4-L5) IVDs from rats with the indicated treatment. Asterisks showed the large, round cells and cellular chondrogenic proliferation; triangles showed inwards bulging, thickened AF collagen lamellae and dashed lines showed the border between the NP and AF. Bar: 1 mm, 100 μm. E Pfirrmann MRI grading of rat IVDs with the indicated treatment for 8 weeks (n = 5 rats per group). F Histological score of rat IVDs with the indicated treatment for 8 weeks (n = 5 rats per group). G Upregulated inflammation-associated pathways by Gene Oncology (GO) analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the LSI-E group and LSI group (n = 3 biological independent samples). H, I Enriched pathways by GSEA (Gene set enrichment analysis) between the LSI-E group and LSI group (n = 3 biological independent samples). J Gene expression heatmaps in the LSI-E and LSI group (n = 3 biological independent samples). K Schematic workflow for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of clinical normal and degenerated NP tissue samples and correlation analysis of overlapping DEGs between LSI-E group and LSI group and between degenerated and normal NP samples (n = 3 biological independent samples) (Created with BioRender.com). L Enriched pathways by GSEA in degenerated NP tissues (n = 3 biological independent samples). M Gene expression heatmaps of enriched pathways in normal and degenerated NP tissues (n = 3 biological independent samples). A significant p value was determined by two-tailed ANOVA (F) and Pearson’s correlation analysis (K). Mean ± SD are shown for (F).

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