Autophagic Degradation of Gasdermin D Protects against Nucleus Pulposus Cell Pyroptosis and Retards Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In Vivo

Figure 1

Histological staining results of human and rat intervertebral discs. (a) HE staining showed the morphology of rat discs and human NP tissues (upper panel), and histological grades were calculated based on HE staining (lower panel). (b) Immunofluorescence analysis of ATG5 (red) and type collagen II (green) in rat and human NP tissues. Corresponding fluorescence intensity analysis is listed in the right panel. Scale bar, 50 μm. (c) Immunofluorescence analysis of GSDMD-N (red) and type collagen II (green) in rat and human NP tissues (left panel) and fluorescence intensity results (right panel). Overlap coefficient based on immunofluorescence results showed the colocalization relationship of (d) ATG5 and COL2A1 or (e) GSDMD-N and COL2A1. (f) Western blot analysis of ATG5, LC3, GSDMD-N, COL2A1, and MMP3 in human nondegenerative and degenerative NP tissues and (g) corresponding quantification of protein levels. NC: nondegenerative discs; IDD: degenerative discs. GAPDH was used as an internal control. Data were presented as the , . , , and vs. the NC group.

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