Temporal Analyses of the Response of Intervertebral Disc Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Nutrient Deprivation

Figure 4

Changes in human NP cellular morphology with time. (a) Cells treated with 0% FBS and no glucose appeared “phase-bright” and semiadhered. This morphology showed no change over time, whereas cells treated with 10% FBS and no glucose (b) and 20% FBS with no glucose (c) showed recovery from a rounded phase-bright morphology to flattened live fibroblast morphology during the 48 hours; (d) cells treated with 10% FBS and moderate glucose were flattened and fibroblast-like and showed no discernible changes in morphology over time.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)