Figure 3
Relative gene expression of relevant target genes in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) cultured in pellets at day 7 and 28. A. Anabolic markers: aggrecan (ACAN), collagen type 2 alpha 1 (COL2A1), cyclin-D1 (CCND1); B. Catabolic markers: a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5), matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1); C. Apoptotic markers: caspase 3 (CASP3), B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X (BAX), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) in non-treated (negative control) and 10 and 100 ng/ml rhBMP-7-treated NPC pellets. Data are expressed as relative expression ± SD, except for the BAX/BCL2 ratio. **Indicates significant difference at a 99% confidence interval (CI); *indicates significant difference at a 98% CI; δ indicates a significant difference at a 97% CI; filled circle indicates a significant difference at a 96% CI.