Martins, DE, de Medeiros, VP, Wajchenberg, M, Paredes-Gamero, EJ, Lima, M, Reginato, RD, Nader, HB, Puertas, EB and Faloppa, F (2018) Changes in human intervertebral disc biochemical composition and bony end plates between middle and old age. PloS one, 13 (9). e0203932 - e0203932. ISSN 1932-6203

[thumbnail of M Lima - Changes in human intervertebral disc biochemical compositition and bony end plates between middle and old age.pdf]
Preview
Text
M Lima - Changes in human intervertebral disc biochemical compositition and bony end plates between middle and old age.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (10MB) | Preview

Abstract

Objective
This study evaluates molecular, nutritional and biochemical alterations in human intervertebral discs between middle and old age.

Methods
Twenty-eight human lumbar intervertebral discs from donors were evaluated and separated into two groups: Middle-aged (35–50 years old, relatively non-degenerate discs of Pfirrmann grades 1–3, n = 15) and Old-aged (≥80 years old, all degenerate Pfirrmann grade 4 or 5, n = 13). Parameters which might be expected to to be related to nutrient supply and so the health of disc cells (eg the porosity of the vertebral endplate, cell viability and cell density) and to disc extracellular composition (ie quantification of glycosaminoglycan disaccharides and hyaluronic acid molecular weight) and collagen organization, were analyzed. Three regions of the intervertebral disc (anterior annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus, and posterior annulus fibrosus) were examined.

Results
The old-aged group showed a decrease in content of sulphated and non-sulphated glycosaminoglycans relative to middle-aged and there were also alterations in the proportion of GAG disaccharides and a decrease of collagen fiber size. Hyaluronic acid molecular weight was around 200 kDa in all regions and ages studied. The anterior annulus differed from the posterior annulus particularly in relation to cell density and GAG content. Additionally, there were changes in the bony endplate, with fewer openings observed in the caudal than cranial endplates of all discs in both groups.

Conclusions
Results show the cranial vertebral endplate is the main vascular source for the intervertebral discs. Hylauronic acid molecular weight is the same through the intervertebral disc after age of 50 years.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: © 2018 Martins et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Uncontrolled Keywords: collagens; disaccharides; proteoglycans; sulfates; articular cartilage; spine; chrondroitin; magnetic resonance image
Subjects: Q Science > QH Natural history
Divisions: Faculty of Natural Sciences > School of Life Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic
Date Deposited: 22 May 2019 07:41
Last Modified: 24 May 2019 10:07
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/6368

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item