Figure 4

Relative gene expression for MMP-3, ADAMTS-4, TIMP-1 (matrix remodeling genes) expressed by bovine NP cells (real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Reading from left to right on each graph the grey bar reflects NP cells treated with IL-1β, the black bar is treatment with IL-1β + FasL, and the white bar NP cells treated with IL-1β + FasL + NCCM. As in Figure 3 each gene represented is expressed relative to basal (untreated) conditions and normalized to the constitutively expressed gene HPRT. NCCM was developed from notochordal cells obtained from the NPs of six non-chondrodystrophic canines and pooled together. Bovine NP (target cells) were collected from bovine caudal discs of five animals and pooled together. All qRT-PCR experiments were repeated in quadruplicate and are presented above with standard error calculations performed for all conditions. The statistical significance for NCCM-treated cells relative to IL-1β + FasL is indicated by the asterisk and indicator bars and is P < .05. Abbreviations: MMP-3 (matrix metalloproteinase-3), ADAMTS-4 (A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4), TIMP-1 (tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 1), IL-1β (Interleukin 1 beta), FasL (Fas ligand), NCCM (notochordal cell conditioned medium), qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction).