Morphological study on the transplantation of human adipose-derived stem cells in a rabbit model of traumatic degenaration of lumbar disc

초록

Degenerative disc disease accounts for more than 20% of low back pain. For identification of pathogenesis and management of disc degeneration, several studies have been presented. In the present study, authors would present the possibility of disc regeneration with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in the degenerative rabbit model. Twenty mature male New Zealand white rabbit was enrolled in the present study. The intervertebral disc was injured by percutaneous technique on L23, L34 and L45 under C-arm guidance with 17-gauge spinal needle. MAgnetic resonance image(MRI) was checked on 6,9,12 and 15 weeks for evaluation of disc degeneration. On 4 weeks later, ADSCs were injected in L45 disc space and the vehicle control injected cells expressed CD34, CD90 and CD9 but not expressed CD31 and CD 45 by flow cytometry analysis. Histological confirmation of degeneratid disc was performed in 11 and 18 weeks with Safranin O and Trichrome stain. MRI revealed intervertebral disc defeneration from 9 weeks, and full degeneration on 15 weeks when compared with uninjured control level. We could confirm the proliferation of ADSCs in the L45 level on 11 weeks rabbit. Moreover, the ADSCs-injected group histologically showed an elevated extracellular matrix secretion and low ossification of damaged cartilages in nucleus pulposus compared with result of the degenerating control group. These data suggested that injection of ADSCs inte lumbar disc of degenerating model could be effective to regeneration of cartilage tissue.