Research Article

Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate Ameliorates Injury-Induced Oxidative Stress and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration in Rats by Inhibiting p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway

Figure 1

Imaging characteristics of IVDs in each group after 4 weeks. (a) Representative radiographic images of the Co8-9 discs in each group and (b) their semiquantitative analysis. (c) Representative images of T2- weighted MR in each group and (d) their semiquantitative analysis. The height of the IVD space and the signal intensity of T2-weighted MRI in the IDD group were found to be significantly lower than those of the control group. However, this decrease was substantially suppressed by treatment with 10 or 20 mg/kg STS. IDD: intervertebral disc degeneration; DHI: disc height index; STS10/20: 10/20 mg/kg sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate; and compared with the IDD group ( per group).
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