Figure 6.

circRNA_0000253 Promotes Rat IDD by Competitively Adsorbing miRNA-141-5p

(A) Electron microscopy showed the shape of exosomes isolated from normal and degenerative rat NPCs. Scale bar, 50 nm. (B) WB showed the expression of marker proteins in exosomes isolated from normal and degenerative rat NPCs. (C) The particle sizes and number of exosomes were determined by a ZetaView nanoparticle tracker. (D) PCR showed the expression of circRNA_0000253 and miRNA-141-5p in normal and degenerative rat NPC exosomes. (E) MRI compared rat disc degeneration among the NC, empty vector, AAV-2-circRNA_0000253-siRNA, and AAV-2-circRNA_0000253-siRNA + AAV-2-miRNA-141-5p-inhibitor groups. (F) X-ray showing the %DHI among the NC, empty vector, circRNA_0000253 siRNA, and circRNA_0000253 siRNA + antagomiRNA-141-5p groups. (G) WB shows the caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-9, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS4, ADAMTS 5, collagen II, aggrecan, and SIRT1 expression among the NC, empty vector, circRNA_0000253 siRNA, and circRNA_0000253 siRNA + antagomiRNA-141-5p groups. (H and I) H&E (H) and SafraninO-Fast Green (I) staining compared the rat NP among the NC, empty vector, AAV-2-circRNA_0000253-siRNA, and AAV-2-circRNA_0000253-siRNA + AAV-2-miRNA-141-5p-inhibitor groups. Scale bar, 500 μm. (J) TUNEL staining showed apoptosis of the NP in the NC, empty vector, circRNA_0000253 siRNA, and circRNA_0000253 siRNA + antagomiRNA-141-5p groups. Scale bar, 50 μm.