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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

A Proinflammatory, Degenerative Organ Culture Model to Simulate Early-Stage Intervertebral Disc Disease.
Published on: February 14, 2021
IL-1β promotes ADAMTS enzyme-mediated aggrecan degradation through NF-κB in human intervertebral disc
Zhongyi Sun1, Zhanmin Yin2, Chao Liu3
1Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 100, Haining Road, Shanghai, 200080, China. sunzhy0008@163.com.
Background:
The purpose of this study is to investigate IL-1β regulation of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5) expression through nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells.
Methods:
qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure ADAMTS expression. Transfections and gene silencing were used to determine the role of NF-κB on cytokine-mediated ADAMTS expression and its role in aggrecan degradation.
Results:
IL-1β increased ADAMTS expression in NP cells. Treatment with NF-κB inhibitors abolished the inductive effect of the cytokines on ADAMTS expression. Silencing of p65 confirmed their role in IL-1β-dependent ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 expression and aggrecan degradation.
Conclusions:
By controlling the activation of NF-κB signaling, IL-1β modulates the expression of ADAMTS in NP cells. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows the contribution of both ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 to aggrecan degradation in human NP cells.
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