Restoration of Autophagic Flux Rescues Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Dysfunction to Protect against Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Figure 10

CUR treatment ameliorates rat IDD in vivo. (a) The discs from the tails of rats obtained from different treatment groups were examined using MRI at T2-weighted signal (white arrows). (b, c) HE and SO staining of the whole rat tail disc. Scale bar: 1 mm. (d) Quantitative analysis of the degree of disc degeneration based on the Pfirrmann grade system using MRI images. (e) The histological scores of the tail discs according to the histological grading scale. (f–h) The levels of type II collagen, aggrecan, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4, ADAMTS-5, LC3, p62, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in the disc samples obtained from the rat models were measured by western blotting. (i) Immunohistochemical staining showing the expression of type II collagen, MMP-13, LC3, p62, and cleaved-caspase3 proteins in the disc samples of the rat model. (j) The content of H₂O₂ in the disc samples. Scale bar: 40 μm. GAPDH was used as an internal control. Data are represented as the . , , .

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

(i)

(j)