Research Paper Volume 16, Issue 1 pp 685—700
ZIP4 upregulation aggravates nucleus pulposus cell degradation by promoting inflammation and oxidative stress by mediating the HDAC4-FoxO3a axis
Figure 8. FoxO3a knockdown offsets the damage-promoting function mediated by ZIP4 overexpression. NP cells were treated with IL-1β (20 ng/ml) or Resv (30 μM) for 24 hours. (A) The LDH level in NP cells subjected to treatment with IL-1β. (B, C) The profiles of inflammatory factors in the cells checked by ELISA. (D, E) Western blot analysis confirmed COX2 and iNOS levels in the cells. (F–H) MDA, SOD, and ROS levels in the cells gauged through the assistance of commercial kits. Scale bar=100 μm. (I) MMP-3, MMP-13, collagen II, and aggrecan levels determined through western blot in the cells. (J) HDAC4, FoxO3a, Sirt1, and NF-κB profiles in NP cells following IL-1β treatment. N=3. *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 (vs. CON); +P<0.05, ++P<0.01, +++P<0.001 (vs. IL-1β); #P<0.05, ##P<0.01, ###P<0.001 (vs. sh-FoxO3a+IL-1β).