DPSCs Protect Architectural Integrity and Alleviate Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Regulating Nucleus Pulposus Immune Status

Figure 5

DPSC-based treatment scheme for treating IVD degeneration rats. (a) Flow diagram showing the design of the animal experiments. On week 0, a 20G needle was used to pierce the Co7-8 or Co8-9 intervertebral disc through the center of the disc until the opposite side. One week after the initial operation, 2 μl of drugs (PBS or cell/μl DPSCs) were injected into the intervertebral disc. The injection procedure was repeated at week 4. At week 6, radiological and histological analyses were carried out to evaluate the structural and architectural changes. (b) Typical micro-CT and 3D reconstruction images after DPSC treatment. The top pictures show the sagittal view, coronal view, and transverse view of the tail disc. The bottom images show the shrinking intervertebral disc height after different treatments. (c) Statistical graph of the DHI. . DHI: disc height index.

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