Figure 4.

Targeting periostin attenuates IDD in vivo

(A) Immunoblotting results of three control and three degenerated human NP tissues. C, control; D, degenerated. (B) Representative IHC staining images of periostin and NF-κB p65 in NP tissues from patients with different degeneration grades. Scale bar, 100 μm. (C) IHC score of periostin in moderately (II and III, n = 7) and severely (IV and V, n = 8) degenerated NP tissues. (D) Pearson correlation between the periostin IHC score and the percentage of p65⁺ cells in human NP tissues. n = 15. (E) Rat tail with the controlled static compressive loading apparatus (left panel), and representative T2-weighted images (T2WI) of rat tails 2 weeks after surgery (right panel). OP, operation; GFP, AAV2-GFP; siPostn, AAV2-Postn-siRNA. (F) MRI Pfirrmann grade of different groups. n = 5 biologically independent samples. (G) Representative images of H&E (upper) and Safranin O/Fast Green (bottom) staining of rat tail IVDs with indicated administration. Scale bar, 400 μm. (H and I) Representative images of p16 (H) and periostin and p65 (I) IHC staining in different groups. Scale bar, 100 μm. (J and K) Periostin IHC score (J) and p65⁺ cells (%) (K) in different groups. n = 3 biologically independent samples. (L and M) Representative T2WI images (L) and MRI Pfirrmann grade (M) of rat tail IVDs treated with IgG or periostin neutralizing antibodies after operation. n = 3 biologically independent samples. Data are presented as the mean ± SD. ∗p < 0.05.