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Quantitative differences in intervertebral disc–matrix composition with age-related degeneration

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Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effect of age on the intervertebral disc, using a rabbit model. Anulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus tissue from New Zealand white rabbits aged 3 years old (old rabbits) and 6 months old (young rabbits) were used. The water content, the proteoglycan, the DNA content, and the mRNA levels of aggrecan, type I collagen, and type II collagen were all measured for each sample. Water, proteoglycan, DNA, and the mRNA levels of aggrecan and type II collagen were all greater in the nucleus pulposus of the young rabbits as compared to the old. For the anulus fibrosus, the difference between young and old is less marked with only proteoglycan and DNA being greater in the young disc as compared to the old. Clearly, according to our results, it is the nucleus pulposus that suffers the brunt of the changes with age.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jun Li and Yerun Zhu for providing expert techniques.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan

    Hideki Murakami

  2. Atlanta Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA

    Hideki Murakami, Tim S. Yoon, Emad S. Attallah-Wasif, Chaiwat Kraiwattanapong, Ichiro Kikkawa & William C. Hutton

  3. Department of Orthopaedics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Hideki Murakami, Tim S. Yoon, Emad S. Attallah-Wasif, Chaiwat Kraiwattanapong, Ichiro Kikkawa & William C. Hutton

  4. The Emory Orthopaedics and Spine Center, 59 Executive Park South, Suite 3000, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA

    William C. Hutton

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  1. Hideki Murakami
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  2. Tim S. Yoon
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  3. Emad S. Attallah-Wasif
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  4. Chaiwat Kraiwattanapong
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  5. Ichiro Kikkawa
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  6. William C. Hutton
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Correspondence to William C. Hutton.

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Murakami, H., Yoon, T.S., Attallah-Wasif, E.S. et al. Quantitative differences in intervertebral disc–matrix composition with age-related degeneration. Med Biol Eng Comput 48, 469–474 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-010-0586-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-010-0586-1

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