Open Access

Effects of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway on intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus degeneration

  • Authors:
    • Litao Zhang
    • Xiujuan Li
    • Xue Kong
    • Hua Jin
    • Yaoqi Han
    • Yuanzhong Xie
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 30, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11288
  • Pages: 1821-1830
  • Copyright: © Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

The incidence of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is increasing, especially among elderly individuals. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway on IDD and its regulatory effect on associated cytokines. In the present study, human nucleus pulposus cells were isolated from patients with thoracic‑lumbar fractures and patients with IDD to observe cellular morphology and detect phosphorylated (p)‑p65/p53 expression levels. The locality and expression levels of p65 in interleukin (IL)‑1β‑stimulated nucleus pulposus cells, with or without the addition of ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC; a NF‑κB signaling pathway‑specific blocker), were measured. Furthermore, the effects of IL‑1β stimulation on the protein and gene expression levels of IDD‑related cytokines were determined following p53 knockdown and inhibition of the NF‑κB signaling pathway. The results suggested that p‑p65 and p53 expression was significantly increased in IDD cells compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells. Moreover, nucleus pulposus cells isolated from patients with IDD contained less cytoplasm compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells, and p65 expression levels were higher in the cytoplasm than the nucleus of IL‑1β‑stimulated PDTC‑treated healthy nucleus pulposus cells. Moreover, the p53 expression levels were significantly decreased following transfection with sip53. PDTC treatment and p53 knockdown significantly decreased matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)‑3, MMP‑13, metallopeptidases with thrombospondin type 1 motif (ADAMTS)‑4 and ADAMTS‑5 expression levels, and increased aggrecan and collagen type II expression levels in IL‑1β‑stimulated cells. The present study indicated that activation of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway might be related to the occurrence of IDD; therefore, the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway may serve as a therapeutic target for IDD.

Introduction

Lower back pain is a common clinical symptom in patients attending orthopedic clinics (1). The most widely accepted factor responsible for causing low back pain is discogenic low back pain, which is characterized by the chronic process of progressive intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) (2). IDD is primarily characterized by a small number of active cells in the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, the breakdown of extracellular matrix and the emergence of proinflammatory mediators in nucleus pulposus cells (3). Ye et al (4) demonstrated that short stature homeobox 2 expression levels were significantly decreased in human IDD tissues, and the expression levels of metallopeptidases with thrombospondin type 1 motifs (ADAMTSs) and matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) were increased in IDD tissues and cells (5,6). Previous studies have also indicated that extracellular matrix degradation that is associated with intervertebral disc nucleus cell degradation serves an important role during IDD (7). Moreover, it has been reported that the protein degradation of extracellular matrix macromolecules leads to significant alterations to disc structure (8). The aforementioned catabolic processes are mediated by a number of cytokines in the nucleus pulposus, of which interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α serve crucial roles during the development of IDD (9,10).

Although the cause of IDD is not completely understood, it has been reported that the occurrence of the disease is primarily caused by genetic and environmental factors (11). As patients with IDD age, the proteoglycan fragment and water content in the intervertebral discs decrease, which is accompanied by the loss of collagen type II (Col II), proteoglycans and other cytokines (12).

IL-1β is one of the proinflammatory cytokines of the IL-1 family. IL-1β blockade attenuates inflammatory skin diseases (13); IL-1β expression is greatly increased in mice following cigarette smoke exposure (14). In addition, IL-1β treatment of nucleus pulposus cells in normal or IDD tissues stimulates matrix degrading enzyme activity, thereby accelerating matrix denaturation (15), which is closely associated with IDD.

NF-κB signaling serves an important role in inflammation and cancer (1618). Activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway promotes apoptosis and serves as an important factor in the cell cycle (19). A previous study reported that ligustilide inhibits the inflammatory response by downregulating the expression of NF-κB signaling pathway-associated proteins, thereby attenuating a rat model of IDD (20). Furthermore, p53 is also a critical signaling pathway that affects cell proliferation and autophagy. Feng et al (21), reported that high oxygen density could lead to DNA damage, activating the p53-p21-Rb signaling pathway and resulting in nucleus pulposus cell senescence. Jin et al (22), demonstrated that silencing small ubiquitin like modifier 2 expression resulted in reduced p53 expression, increased proliferation and reduced apoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells. The aforementioned studies indicated a potential relationship between the p53 signaling pathway and IDD. In addition, it has been reported p53 expression is abnormally upregulated in IDD tissues due to the action of the long non-coding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (23).

The aforementioned studies primarily focused on specific factors that affect IDD attenuation or aggravation, and a limited number of studies have explored the direct relationships between IDD and p53, and NF-κB and p53. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway and its underlying mechanisms in IDD.

Materials and methods

Patients and tissues

Normal human nucleus pulposus tissues were derived from 20 patients (10 male patients and 10 female patients; mean age, 25±9.63 years) who suffered from thoracic-lumbar fractures and received spinal surgery at Taian Central Hospital between July 2017 and June 2018. Nucleus pulposus tissues of degenerate intervertebral discs were obtained from 35 patients with IDD (21 male patients and 14 female patients; mean age, 53±8.52 years) at Taian Central Hospital between July 2017 and June 2018. According to the Pfirrmann grading scale (24), the IDD tissues samples were grade III–IV. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The present study was approved by the Taian Central Hospital Ethics Committee (approval no. TA2017052812).

The nucleus pulposus tissues were collected after surgery, repeatedly rinsed in PBS and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen within 30 min of collection.

Isolation of nucleus pulposus cells and primary culture

The nucleus pulposus tissues were cut into 1 mm3 pieces and digested using 0.25% trypsin (Gibco; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) for 0.5 h and 0.2% type II collagenase (Gibco; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) for 4 h in a water bath at 37°C. Subsequently, the tissues were filtered using a 200-mesh cell sieve and centrifuged at 600 × g for 5 min at 4°C to obtain cell sediments. Primary cells (5×105/ml) were cultured in DMEM/F2 growth medium (HyClone; GE Healthcare Life Sciences) containing 20% FBS (Gibco; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) at 37°C with 5% CO2. Subsequently, cellular morphology was observed using a light microscope (magnification ×200). In the present study, cells were stimulated with IL-1β (10 ng/ml; PeproTech EC Ltd.) to establish an IDD model.

Transfection

Small interfering RNA (si)-p53, si-negative control (NC), si-p65, p53 inhibitor (Pifithrin-α; 20 µM), pcDNA 3.1 vector, pcDNA 3.1-p53 and pcDNA 3.1-p65 were purchased from Shanghai GenePharma Co., Ltd. The siRNA sequences are presented in Table I. The cells were treated with Pifithrin-α for 24 h at 37°C.

Table I.

Sequences of the siRNAs used for transfection.

Table I.

Sequences of the siRNAs used for transfection.

siRNASequence (5′→3′)
si-p53F: CCUGUGCAGUUGUGGGUCATT
R: UGACCCACAACUGCACAGGTT
siNCF: UUCUCCGAACGUGUCACGUTT
R: ACGUGACACGUUCGGAGAATT
si-p65F: UCAAUGAUCUCCACAUAGGGG
R:CCUAUGUGGAGAUCAUUGAGC

[i] si, small interfering RNA; NC, negative control; F, forward; R, reverse.

Nucleus pulposus cells were cultured (5×105 cells/well) in 6-well plates for 24 h to 60–80% confluence. Subsequently, cells were transfected with 50 nM vector or 75 pmol siRNA using Lipofectamine® 2000 transfection reagent (cat. no. 11668019; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Following incubation for 6 h at 37°C, the medium was replaced with DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS and cells were incubated for a further 24 h at 37°C. Subsequently, p53 and p65 expression levels were detected by western blotting and cytokine expression levels were measured by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR).

Western blotting

Total protein was extracted from nucleus pulposus tissues using RIPA buffer solution (Beyotime Institute of Biotechnology). Subsequently, the samples were subjected to ultrasonication (frequency, 30 kHz; amplitude, 100%; intermittent frequency for 10 sec followed by ultrasonic frequency for 5 sec) until the solution was clear and the supernatants were collected. Total protein was extracted from nucleus pulposus cells using RIPA buffer on ice for 30 min.

Total protein was quantified using the Bicinchoninic Acid Protein assay (Beyotime Institute of Biotechnology). Proteins (30 µg per lane) were separated via 10% SDS-PAGE and transferred onto PVDF membranes, which were blocked with 5% skimmed milk for 1 h at room temperature. Subsequently, the membranes were incubated at 4°C overnight with primary antibodies targeted against: Phosphorylated (p)-p65 (cat. no. 3033; 1:1,000; Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.), p65 (cat. no. 8242; 1:1,000; Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.), p53 (cat. no. 9282; 1:1,000; Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.), aggrecan (cat. no. ab36861; 1:1,000; Abcam), collagen type II (Col II; cat. no. ab34712; 1:10,000; Abcam), MMP-3 (cat. no. ab53015; 1:1,000; Abcam), MMP-13 (cat. no. ab39014; 1:1,000; Abcam), ADAMTS-4 (cat. no. ab185722; 1:100; Abcam), ADAMTS-5 (cat. no. ab41037; 1:250; Abcam) and GAPDH (1:1,000; cat. no. ab181602; Abcam). Following primary incubation, the membranes were washed three times with TBST (TBS with 0.05% Tween-20) and incubated with horseradish peroxidase-conjugated anti-rabbit secondary antibodies (cat. no. 7074; 1:1,000; Cell Signaling Technology Inc.; cat. no. ab205718; 1:2,000; Abcam) at room temperature for 2 h. The membranes were washed three times with TBST solution. Subsequently, protein bands were visualized using ECL (cat. no. 6883; Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.). Protein expression levels were quantified using Image J software (version 1.8.0; National Institutes of Health) with GAPDH as the loading control.

Fluorescence immunoassay

The localization and expression of p65 in nucleus pulposus cells were detected by immunofluorescence. Human nucleus pulposus cells were divided into the following three groups: i) The control group, which was untreated; ii) the IL-1β group, which was treated with 10 ng/ml recombinant human IL-1β (PeproTech EC Ltd.) for 24 h at 37°C; and the ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) + IL-1β group, which was treated with 10 µM PDTC (Sigma-Aldrich; Merck KGaA) for 24 h at 37°C and 10 ng/ml IL-1β for 24 h at 37°C. Cells were washed three times with PBS and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde (Gibco; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) for 10 min at room temperature. Cells were permeabilized using 5% Triton (Gibco; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) for 5 min and blocked with 5% goat serum (Gibco; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) for 1 h at room temperature. Subsequently, the cells were incubated with a rabbit anti-human NF-κB p65 primary antibody (1:100; cat. no. 4764; Cell Signaling Technology Inc.) at 4°C overnight. Following primary incubation, the cells were incubated with an FITC-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody (1:1,000; cat. no. BA1105; BOSTER) at 37°C for 1.5 h. Subsequently, the cells were stained using DAPI for 10 min at room temperature and washed three times with PBS. Stained cells were observed using a fluorescence microscope (magnification ×400).

RT-qPCR

Total RNA was extracted from healthy nucleus pulposus cells using the RNApure High-purity Total RNA Rapid Extraction kit (BioTeke) according to the manufacturer's protocol and the quality and integrity of RNAs were detected using a NanoDrop One instrument (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.) and 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. Subsequently, total RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA using a First-strand cDNA Synthesis kit (cat. no. NP100041; OriGene Technologies, Inc.) according to the manufacturer's protocol. qPCR was performed using the SYBR Premix Ex Taq kit (Takara Biotechnology Co., Ltd.) and an ABI 7500 Fast real-time PCR system (Applied Biosystems; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.). The sequences of the primers (Abcam) used for qPCR are presented in Table II.

Table II.

Sequences of primers used for reverse transcription- quantitative PCR.

Table II.

Sequences of primers used for reverse transcription- quantitative PCR.

GeneSequence (5′→3′)
AGGF: TGAAACCACCTCTGCATTCCA
R: GACGCCTCGCCTTCTTGAA
Col IIF: GTCACAGAAGACCTCACGCCTC
R: TCCACACCGAATTCCTGCTC
MMP-3F: GCTGTTTTTGAAGAATTTGGGTTC
R: GCACAGGCAGGAGAAAACGA
MMP-13F: CCAGGCATCACCATTCAAG
R: ATCATCTTCATCACCACCACTG
ADAMTS-4F: ACTGGTGGTGGCAGATGACA
R: TCACTGTTAGCAGGTAGCGCTTT
ADAMTS-5F: GCTTCTATCGGGGCACAGT
R: CAGCAGTGGCTTTAGGGTGTAG
GAPDHF: CGGAGTCAACGGATTTGGTCGTAT
R: AGCCTTCTCCATGGTGGTGAAGAC

[i] AGG, aggrecan; Col II, collagen type II; MMP, matrix metallopeptidase; ADAMTS, metallopeptidases with thrombospondin type 1 motif.

The master mix used for qPCR consisted of 7.5 µl 2X SYBR Premix, 0.5 µl forward primer, 0.5 µl reserve primers, 2 µl template and 4.5 µl DEPC water. The following thermocycling conditions were used for qPCR: Initial denaturation at 95°C for 3 min; followed by 39 cycles at 95°C for 15 sec and 55°C for 30 sec, and extension at 72°C for 30 sec. mRNA expression levels were quantified using the 2−∆∆Cq method and normalized to the internal reference gene GAPDH (25).

Statistical analysis

Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 17.0; SPSS, Inc.). Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. Comparisons among multiple groups were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. Each experiment was performed in triplicate.

Results

p-p65/p53 expression and cellular morphology of IDD cells

The expression levels of p-p65 and p53 were significantly increased in IDD cells compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells (P<0.001; Fig. 1A and B). However, there was no significant difference in the expression of total p65 between IDD cells and normal nucleus pulposus cells. In addition, the ratio of p-65/total p65 was higher in IDD cells compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells (P<0.001; Fig. 1C).

In the normal nucleus pulposus cell group, short fusiform or polygon cell morphology was observed. Moreover, the cell volume was large, the cytoplasm was plump and refractive, and the nuclei were large and oval. By contrast, the IDD group displayed fusiform, slender and long cell morphology with reduced cytoplasm and low refractivity (Fig. 1D).

Localization and expression of p65 in nucleus pulposus cells

The expression and localization of p65 in nucleus pulposus cells was detected by immunofluorescence staining (Fig. 2). In the control group, p65 was primarily expressed in the cytoplasm. p65 expression levels were higher in the nucleus compared with the cytoplasm in the IL-1β group. By contrast, in the PDTC + IL-1β group, p65 expression levels were higher in the cytoplasm compared with the nucleus.

Transfection efficiency of p53

p53 expression levels were determined by RT-qPCR (Fig. 3A). The expression levels of p53 in the si-p53 group were significantly decreased compared with the control and siNC groups (P<0.001).

Effects of p53 and NF-κB inhibition on nucleus pulposus cell protein and gene expression levels

In the present study, cells were stimulated with IL-1β to establish an IDD model (26). The protein and mRNA expression levels of MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, ADAMTS-5, aggrecan and Col II were detected by western blotting and RT-qPCR, respectively (Fig. 3B-H). In the IL-1β group, the protein expression levels of MMP-3 (P<0.001), MMP-13 (P<0.001), ADAMTS-4 (P<0.001) and ADAMTS-5 (P<0.001) were significantly increased compared with control group. By contrast, the protein expression levels of aggrecan (P<0.05) and Col II (P<0.001) were significantly decreased in the IL-1β group compared with the control group. In the PDTC + IL-1β and si-p53 + IL-1β groups, the protein expression levels of MMP-3 (P<0.001), MMP-13 (P<0.001), ADAMTS-4 (P<0.001) and ADAMTS-5 (P<0.001) were significantly reduced compared with the IL-1β group. Moreover, the protein expression levels of aggrecan (P<0.001) and Col II (P<0.001) were significantly increased in the PDTC + IL-1β and si-p53 + IL-1β groups compared with the IL-1β group. The protein expression levels of MMP-3 (P<0.001), MMP-13 (P<0.05), ADAMTS-4 (P<0.05) and ADAMTS-5 (P<0.001) were significantly decreased in the PDTC + si-p53 + IL-1β group compared with the PDTC + siNC + IL-1β group, whereas the protein expression levels of aggrecan and Col II were significantly increased in the PDTC + si-p53 + IL-1β group compared with the PDTC + siNC + IL-1β group (both P<0.001). mRNA expression levels displayed a similar trend to protein expression levels.

Following p53 overexpression, p53 expression levels were significantly increased compared with the control and NC groups (P<0.001; Fig. 4A). Following transfection with si-p65 or the p65 overexpression plasmid, p65 expression levels were significantly decreased or increased, respectively, compared with the control and NC groups (P<0.001; Fig. 4B and C). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of MMP-3 (P<0.001), MMP-13 (P<0.001), ADAMTS-4 (P<0.001) and ADAMTS-5 (P<0.05) were significantly increased, whereas aggrecan (P<0.001) and Col II (P<0.001) expression levels were decreased in the IL-1β group. Compared with the IL-1β + siNC group, the IL-1β + si-p65 and IL-1β + PDTC groups displayed significantly reduced MMP-3 (P<0.001), MMP-13 (P<0.001), ADAMTS-4 (P<0.001) and ADAMTS-5 (P<0.001) expression levels, and significantly increased aggrecan (P<0.001) and Col II (P<0.001) expression levels. p53 overexpression partially reversed PDTC-mediated effects on protein and gene expression. In addition, the expression levels of MMP-3 (P<0.05), MMP-13 (P<0.001), ADAMTS-4 (P<0.05) and ADAMTS-5 (P<0.05) were significantly increased in the IL-1β + p65 overexpression group compared with the IL-1β + siNC group, whereas the expression levels of aggrecan and Col II were significantly decreased (both P<0.05). Similarly, Pifithrin-α partially reversed p65 overexpression-mediated effects on protein and gene expression (Figs. 4 and 5).

Discussion

NF-κB is involved in organ and tissue degradation (2729). p65 belongs to the NF-κB family and it has been widely reported to be associated with IDD (3033), with p-p65 serving a crucial role during IDD as a marker of NF-κB activation (3235). The p53 gene is associated with cell senescence and death (36,37), and its expression is significantly increased in rat models of IDD under weightlessness circumstances (38). An association between the p53/NF-κB signaling pathway and IDD was indicated in the present study. The results suggested that significantly higher expression levels of p-p65 and p53 were observed in nucleus pulposus cells isolated from patients with IDD compared with cells isolated from patients with thoracic-lumbar fractures. Therefore, the results suggested that there was a potential relationship between high p65/p53 expression and IDD occurrence.

In the present study, IDD cells displayed shuttle-shaped morphology with less cytoplasm, which suggested an association between extracellular matrix alterations and IDD. It has been previously suggested that extracellular matrix degradation can cause IDD (7), and the observation of reduced cytoplasm in IDD cells compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells further supported the hypothesis.

Proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β, are important mediators associated with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and IDD (9,39). IL-1β can cause cell apoptosis, thereby leading to the occurrence of IDD by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway (40). Moreover, p-p65 expression can activate the NF-κB signaling pathway (41). PDTC specifically blocks the NF-κB signaling pathway and is often used to reduce NF-κB nuclear translocation (42). In the present study, IL-1β was used to simulate IDD in normal nucleus pulposus cells, and the results indicated that p65 was primarily expressed in the nucleus in the IL-1β group, which suggested that IL-1β stimulation induced extracellular matrix degradation. Following treatment with PDTC, p65 expression was increased in the cytoplasm and decreased in the nucleus in IL-1β stimulated cells. Collectively, the results suggested that PDTC inhibited the nuclear transfer of p65 and resulted in extracellular matrix degradation, which indicated that NF-κB may serve an important role in IL-1β-stimulated nucleus pulposus cells.

Furthermore, p53 expression was significantly inhibited following p53 knockdown, but low levels of expression were still detected. The aforementioned finding indicated that although p53 expression may be regulated by si-p53, it may also be regulated by other signalling pathways, which may include the NF-κB signaling pathway.

The major characteristic of IDD is extracellular matrix degradation, and the major components of extracellular matrix are Col II and aggrecan. A previous study indicated that MMPs and ADAMTSs are associated with Col II and aggrecan degradation (43). It has been reported that high levels of MMPs and ADAMTSs are present following IL-1β overexpression (44). MMPs are endopeptidases that form a component of lysozyme and MMP-13 is a collagenase (45). ADAMTSs are a family of large metalloproteinases, and according to their structure and function, ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 are hyaluronidases (46).

Previous studies have reported that nucleus pulposus cells isolated from patients with IDD display high expression levels of MMP-3 and MMP-13 (47,48). Meanwhile, the association between IDD and ADAMTS-4/5 has also been confirmed (4951). The present study indicated that IL-1β significantly increased the expression of MMPs and ADAMTSs, and reduced the expression of aggrecan and Col II compared with the control group. Treatment of IL-1β-stimulated cells with PDTC or si-p53 reduced the expression of MMPs and ADAMTSs, which suggested that blocking the NF-κB or p53 signalling pathways could significantly inhibit the expression of MMPs and ADAMTSs, and upregulate the expression of aggrecan and Col II. Moreover, compared with the PDTC + IL-1β group, MMP and ADAMTS expression levels were significantly decreased, and aggrecan and Col II expression levels were significantly increased in the PDTC + si-p53 + IL-1β group, which suggested that inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway directly affected protein and gene expression, while the effect of p53 was indirect. The present study further suggested the relationship between the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway and IDD, indicating that the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway may serve as an important mediator in the occurrence of IDD. Moreover, the results suggested that p53 might serve as a mediator between the NF-κB signaling pathway and IDD. Therefore, the present study suggested that the NF-κB signaling pathway regulated the expression of cytokines via p53. A previous study reported that sparstolonin B prevents lumbar IDD-induced inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis via the toll-like receptor 4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway (52). Furthermore, small ubiquitin like modifier 2 gene silencing inhibits nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis and senescence in a rat model of IDD by downregulating the p53 signaling pathway (22). The aforementioned studies indicated that the NF-κB signaling pathway and p53 were closely related to IDD. The present study comprehensively analyzed the effect of the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway on IDD, and indicated that the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway may serve as a key mediator and a therapeutic target for IDD. However, the present study also had a number of limitations. For example, the expression level of a molecular marker should be analyzed to verify the identity of the extracted primary cell.

The results of the present study indicated that p65 and p53 expression levels were higher in IDD cells compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells. Furthermore, p65 expression levels were decreased in the cytoplasm of IL-1β-stimulated cells compared with normal nucleus pulposus cells. Inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway increased the cytoplasmic expression of p65 in IL-1β-stimulated cells. Moreover, inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway and p53 knockdown reduced the expression of MMPs and ADAMTSs, and increased the expression of aggrecan and Col II in IL-1β-stimulated cells. The results suggested that the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway might serve a critical role during IDD and may also serve as a therapeutic target for the disease. However, future studies are required to explore the mechanisms underlying IDD. For example, the results of the present study should be verified using in vivo models and the regulation of IDD by the NF-κB/p53 signaling pathway requires further investigation.

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Funding

The present study was supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation General Project (grant nos. ZR2016HM40 and ZR2017MH063) and Youth Science Foundation Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81903010).

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Authors' contributions

LZ and XL conceived and designed the study. YH, HJ, XK and YX acquired, analyzed and interpreted the data. LZ and XL drafted the manuscript and revised it for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The present study was approved by the Taian Central Hospital Ethics Committee (approval no. TA2017052812).

Patient consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

References

1 

Hoy D, Brooks P, Blyth F and Buchbinder R: The epidemiology of low back pain. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 24:769–781. 2010. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

2 

Gungor C, Tang R, Sesek R, Davis G and Gallagher S: Regression models for the erector spinae muscle (ESM) cross-sectional area (CSA): Asymptomatic populations. J Biomech Eng. 24:11152019.

3 

Chou PH, Wang ST, Yen MH, Liu CL, Chang MC and Lee OK: Fluid-induced, shear stress-regulated extracellular matrix and matrix metalloproteinase genes expression on human annulus fibrosus cells. Stem Cell Rese Ther. 7:342016. View Article : Google Scholar

4 

Ye F, Wang H, Zheng Z, He P, Sribastav SS, Wang H, Wang J, Liu H and Leung VYL: Role of SHOX2 in the development of intervertebral disc degeneration. J Orthop Res. 35:1047–1057. 2017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

5 

Le Maitre CL, Freemont AJ and Hoyland JA: Localization of degradative enzymes and their inhibitors in the degenerate human intervertebral disc. J Pathol. 204:47–54. 2004. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

6 

Tsukifuji R, Tagawa K, Hatamochi A and Shinkai H: Expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1, −2 and −3 in squamous cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis. Br J Cancer. 80:1087–1091. 1999. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

7 

Hangai M, Kaneoka K, Kuno S, Hinotsu S, Sakane M, Mamizuka N, Sakai S and Ochiai N: Factors associated with lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration in the elderly. Spine J. 8:732–740. 2008. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

8 

Vo NV, Hartman RA, Yurube T, Jacobs LJ, Sowa GA and Kang JD: Expression and regulation of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in intervertebral disc aging and degeneration. Spine J. 13:331–341. 2013. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

9 

Xu F, Gao F, Liu Y, Wang Z, Zhuang X, Qu Z, Ma H, Liu Y, Fu C, Zhang Q and Duan X: Bioinformatics analysis of molecular mechanisms involved in intervertebral disc degeneration induced by TNF-α and IL-1β. Mol Med Rep. 13:2925–2931. 2016. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

10 

Wang SL, Yu YL, Tang CL and Lv FZ: Effects of TGF-β1 and IL-1β on expression of ADAMTS enzymes and TIMP-3 in human intervertebral disc degeneration. Exp Ther Med. 6:1522–1526. 2013. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

11 

Hanaei S, Abdollahzade S, Sadr M, Mirbolouk MH, Khoshnevisan A and Rezaei N: Association of IL10 and TGFB single nucleotide polymorphisms with intervertebral disc degeneration in Iranian population: A case control study. BMC Med Genet. 19:592018. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

12 

Antoniou J, Steffen T, Nelson F, Winterbottom N, Hollander AP, Poole RA, Aebi M and Alini M: The human lumbar intervertebral disc: Evidence for changes in the biosynthesis and denaturation of the extracellular matrix with growth, maturation, ageing, and degeneration. J Clin Invest. 98:996–1003. 1996. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

13 

Fenini G, Contassot E and French LE: Potential of IL-1, IL-18 and inflammasome inhibition for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Front Pharmacol. 8:2782017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

14 

Fang L, Cheng Q, Zhao F, Cheng H, Luo Y, Bao X, Li Y, Liang X, Huang Y, Xu J, et al: Cigarette smoke exposure combined with lipopolysaccharides induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 266:9–17. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

15 

Hoyland JA, Le Maitre C and Freemont AJ: Investigation of the role of IL-1 and TNF in matrix degradation in the intervertebral disc. Rheumatology (Oxford). 47:809–814. 2008. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

16 

Jin W, Xu X, Chen X, Qi W, Lu J, Yan X, Zhao D, Cong D, Li X and Sun L: Protective effect of pig brain polypeptides against corticosterone-induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and apoptosis in PC12 cells. Biomed Pharmacother. 115:1088902019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

17 

Sabir JSM, El Omri A, Shaik NA, Banaganapalli B, Al-Shaeri MA, Alkenani NA, Hajrah NH, Awan ZA, Zrelli H, Elango R and Khan M: Identification of key regulatory genes connected to NF-κB family of proteins in visceral adipose tissues using gene expression and weighted protein interaction network. PLoS One. 14:e02143372019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

18 

Zhang Q, Mao Z and Sun J: NF-κB inhibitor, BAY11-7082, suppresses M2 tumor-associated macrophage induced EMT potential via miR-30a/NF-κB/Snail signaling in bladder cancer cells. Gene. 710:91–97. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

19 

Wang RK, Shao XM, Yang JP, Yan HL and Shao Y: MicroRNA-145 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of hepG2 cells by targeting ROCK1 through the ROCK1/NF-κB signaling pathway. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 23:2777–2785. 2019.PubMed/NCBI

20 

Wang K, Chen T, Ying X, Zhang Z, Shao Z, Lin J, Xu T, Chen Y, Wang X, Chen J and Sheng S: Ligustilide alleviated IL-1β induced apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation of nucleus pulposus cells and attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration in vivo. Int Immunopharmacol. 69:398–407. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

21 

Feng C, Zhang Y, Yang M, Lan M, Liu H, Huang B and Zhou Y: Oxygen-Sensing Nox4 generates genotoxic ROS to induce premature senescence of nucleus pulposus cells through MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017:74264582017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

22 

Jin LZ, Lu JS and Gao JW: Silencing SUMO2 promotes protection against degradation and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells through p53 signaling pathway in intervertebral disc degeneration. Biosci Rep. 38:BSR20171232018. View Article : Google Scholar

23 

Ruan Z, Ma H, Li J, Liu H, Jia H and Li F: The long non-coding RNA NEAT1 contributes to extracellular matrix degradation in degenerative human nucleus pulposus cells. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 243:595–600. 2018. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

24 

Pfirrmann CW, Metzdorf A, Zanetti M, Hodler J and Boos N: Magnetic resonance classification of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 26:1873–1878. 2001. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

25 

Livak KJ and Schmittgen TD: Analysis of relative gene expression data using real-time quantitative PCR and the 2(-Delta Delta C(T)) method. Methods. 25:402–408. 2001. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

26 

Yang M, Peng Y, Liu W, Zhou M, Meng Q and Yuan C: Sirtuin 2 expression suppresses oxidative stress and senescence of nucleus pulposus cells through inhibition of the p53/p21 pathway. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 513:616–622. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

27 

Liu Y, Qu Y, Liu L, Zhao H, Ma H, Si M, Cheng L and Nie L: PPAR-γ agonist pioglitazone protects against IL-17 induced intervertebral disc inflammation and degeneration via suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway. Int Immunopharmacol. 72:138–147. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

28 

Yamaguchi Y, Ayaki T, Li F, Tsujimura A, Kamada M, Ito H, Maki T, Sawamoto N, Urushitani M and Takahashi R: Phosphorylated NF-κB subunit p65 aggregates in granulovacuolar degeneration and neurites in neurodegenerative diseases with tauopathy. Neurosci Lett. 704:229–235. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

29 

Shen L, Xiao Y, Wu Q, Liu L, Zhang C and Pan X: TLR4/NF-κB axis signaling pathway-dependent up-regulation of miR-625-5p contributes to human intervertebral disc degeneration by targeting COL1A1. Am J Transl Res. 11:1374–1388. 2019.PubMed/NCBI

30 

Ma T, Guo CJ, Zhao X, Wu L, Sun SX and Jin QH: The effect of curcumin on NF-κB expression in rat with lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 19:1305–1314. 2015.PubMed/NCBI

31 

Wang S, Liu C, Sun Z, Yan P, Liang H, Huang K, Li C and Tian J: IL-1β increases asporin expression via the NF-κB p65 pathway in nucleus pulposus cells during intervertebral disc degeneration. Sci Rep. 7:41122017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

32 

Lu L, Hu J, Wu Q, An Y, Cui W, Wang J and Ye Z: Berberine prevents human nucleus pulposus cells from IL-1β-induced extracellular matrix degradation and apoptosis by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. Int J Mol Med. 43:1679–1686. 2019.PubMed/NCBI

33 

Chen L, Xie ZY, Liu L, Zhu L, Wang F, Fan P, Sinkemani A, Zhang C, Hong X and Wu XT: Nuclear factor-kappa B-dependent X-box binding protein 1 signalling promotes the proliferation of nucleus pulposus cells under tumour necrosis factor alpha stimulation. Cell Prolif. 52:e125422019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

34 

Bai M, Yin HP, Zhao J, Li Y and Wu YM: Roles of TREM2 in degeneration of human nucleus pulposus cells via NF-κB p65. J Cell Biochem. 119:8784–8796. 2018. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

35 

Liu B, Lu R, Li H, Zhou Y, Zhang P, Bai L, Chen D, Chen J, Li J, Yu P, et al: Zhen-Wu-Tang ameliorates membranous nephropathy rats through inhibiting NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome. Phytomedicine. 59:1529132019. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

36 

Wang X, Simpson ER and Brown KA: P53: Protection against tumor growth beyond effects on cell cycle and apoptosis. Cancer Res. 75:5001–5007. 2015. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

37 

Engeland K: Cell cycle arrest through indirect transcriptional repression by p53: I have a DREAM. Cell Death Differ. 25:114–132. 2018. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

38 

Li Y, Cao L, Li J, Sun Z, Liu C, Liang H, Wang D and Tian J: Influence of microgravity-induced intervertebral disc degeneration of rats on expression levels of p53/p16 and proinflammatory factors. Exp Ther Med. 17:1367–1373. 2019.PubMed/NCBI

39 

Parlar A, Arslan SO, Doğan MF, Çam SA, Yalçin A, Elibol E, Özer MK, Üçkardeş F and Kara H: The exogenous administration of CB2 specific agonist, GW405833, inhibits inflammation by reducing cytokine production and oxidative stress. Exp Ther Med. 16:4900–4908. 2018.PubMed/NCBI

40 

Weber A, Wasiliew P and Kracht M: Interleukin-1 (IL-1) pathway. Sci Signal. 3(105)2010. View Article : Google Scholar

41 

Liu Y, Li X and Jin A: Rapamycin inhibits Nf-ΚB activation by autophagy to reduce catabolism in human chondrocytes. J Invest Surg. 4:1–13. 2019. View Article : Google Scholar

42 

Liu H, Xiong J, He T, Xiao T, Li Y, Yu Y, Huang Y, Xu X, Huang Y, Zhang J, et al: High uric acid-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal tubular epithelial cells via the TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway. Am J Nephrol. 46:333–342. 2017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

43 

Wang WJ, Yu XH, Wang C, Yang W, He WS, Zhang SJ, Yan YG and Zhang J: MMPs and ADAMTSs in intervertebral disc degeneration. Clin Chim Acta. 448:238–246. 2015. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

44 

Ellman MB, Kim JS, An HS, Kroin JS, Li X, Chen D, Yan D, Buechter DD, Nakayama K, Liu B, et al: The pathophysiologic role of the protein kinase Cδ pathway in the intervertebral discs of rabbits and mice: In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies. Arthritis Rheum. 64:1950–1959. 2012. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

45 

Cortes-Reynosa P, Robledo T, Macias-Silva M, Wu SV and Salazar EP: Src kinase regulates metalloproteinase-9 secretion induced by type IV collagen in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Matrix Biol. 27:220–231. 2008. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

46 

Rocks N, Paulissen G, El Hour M, Quesada F, Crahay C, Gueders M, Foidart JM, Noel A and Cataldo D: Emerging roles of ADAM and ADAMTS metalloproteinases in cancer. Biochimie. 90:369–379. 2008. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

47 

Deng B, Ren JZ, Meng XQ, Pang CG, Duan GQ, Zhang JX, Zou H, Yang HZ and Ji JJ: Expression profiles of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration. Genet Mol Res. 14:19080–19086. 2015. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

48 

Xia W, Zhang LL, Mo J, Zhang W, Li HT, Luo ZP and Yang HL: Effect of static compression loads on intervertebral disc: An in vivo bent rat tail model. Orthop Surg. 10:134–143. 2018. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

49 

Ngo K, Pohl P, Wang D, Leme AS, Lee J, Di P, Roughley P, Robbins PD, Niedernhofer LJ, Sowa G, et al: ADAMTS5 deficiency protects mice from chronic tobacco smoking-induced intervertebral disc degeneration. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 42:1521–1528. 2017. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

50 

Huang M, Wang HQ, Zhang Q, Yan XD, Hao M and Luo ZJ: Alterations of ADAMTSs and TIMP-3 in human nucleus pulposus cells subjected to compressive load: Implications in the pathogenesis of human intervertebral disc degeneration. J Orthop Res. 30:267–273. 2012. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

51 

Liu C, Yang H, Gao F, Li X, An Y, Wang J and Jin A: Resistin promotes intervertebral disc degeneration by upregulation of ADAMTS-5 through p38 MAPK signaling pathway. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 41:1414–1420. 2016. View Article : Google Scholar : PubMed/NCBI

52 

Ge J, Chen L, Yang Y, Lu X and Xiang Z: Sparstolonin B prevents lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration through toll like receptor 4, NADPH oxidase activation and the protein kinase B signaling pathway. Mol Med Rep. 17:1347–1353. 2018.PubMed/NCBI

Related Articles

Journal Cover

September-2020
Volume 22 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1791-2997
Online ISSN:1791-3004

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Zhang L, Li X, Kong X, Jin H, Han Y and Xie Y: Effects of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway on intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus degeneration. Mol Med Rep 22: 1821-1830, 2020
APA
Zhang, L., Li, X., Kong, X., Jin, H., Han, Y., & Xie, Y. (2020). Effects of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway on intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus degeneration. Molecular Medicine Reports, 22, 1821-1830. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11288
MLA
Zhang, L., Li, X., Kong, X., Jin, H., Han, Y., Xie, Y."Effects of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway on intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus degeneration". Molecular Medicine Reports 22.3 (2020): 1821-1830.
Chicago
Zhang, L., Li, X., Kong, X., Jin, H., Han, Y., Xie, Y."Effects of the NF‑κB/p53 signaling pathway on intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus degeneration". Molecular Medicine Reports 22, no. 3 (2020): 1821-1830. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11288