Mesoporous Silica Nano-Particles Based Arctigenin (MSN-ARC-G) Attenuates Intervertebral Disc Degeneration (IVDD) and Inflammation in Mice and Human NP Cells by Suppressing the MAPK/ERK Pathway

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a multifactorial disease that mainly takes place in the nucleus pulposus (NP) and the fibrocartilaginous annulus fibrosus, and causes lower back pain. Fructus arctii, which is a traditional Chinese herb, shows a potential curative effect in relieving inflammation related diseases. The study aimed to explore whether mesoporous silica nano-particles-based arctigenin (MSN-ARC-G) could ameliorate inflammation and attenuate IVDD. IVDD mouse models were established and NP cells were extracted. Human NP cell lines were cultured for in vitro MSN-ARC-G treatment. Electron microscopes were used to observe composite structures. H&E staining and safranin O staining were used for morphological observation, and real-time PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence were also performed for analysis in IVDD mice. The results showed that MSN-ARC-G attenuated IVDD and inflammation in IVDD mice. Serum inflammatory factors including IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were reduced in the IVDD mouse model treated with MSN-ARC-G. Expression of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory factors in NP cells treated with MSN-ARC-G were down-regulated and up-regulated, respectively. MSN-ARC-G ameliorated IVDD and inflammation by regulating the MAPK/ERK pathway.We established an efficient treatment for treating IVDD and revealed the novel pharmacological potential of MSN-ARC-G.