A Study on COMP and CTX-II as Molecular Markers for the Diagnosis of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Figure 3

Safranin O-fast green staining showed severe IVDD in the rats of the experimental group. (a) The control group showed complete NPCs in the intervertebral disc, a quasicircular central NPC, a large number of notochord cells, a small number of chondroid cells, and the peripheral annulus fibrosus arranged in an annular manner with a clear boundary with the NPCs. (b) The experimental group (acupunctured group) showed the annulus fibrosus disrupted and disorganized over time (the inner fiber of the annulus fibrosus twisted and protruded into the intervertebral disc with an unclear boundary with the NPCs and the cracks inside NPCs) and the chondroid cells were replaced by fibrocartilage cells and inflammatory cell infiltration. AF: annulus fibrosus; NP: nucleus pulposus; EP: endplate cartilage.

(a)

(b)