• Changcheng You, Kai Zhu, Xiaoqi Liu, Chunyang Xi, Zhipeng Zhang, Gongping Xu, and Jinglong Yan.
• *Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, P.R. China; and †Department of Radiology, Harbin Children's Hospital, Harbin, P.R. China.
• Spine. 2013 Nov 1;38(23):2003-7.

Study DesignA prospective molecular mechanism of macrophages infiltration in experimental disc herniation.ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms of macrophages infiltration into the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in a rat model of disc herniation.Summary Of Background DataMacrophages infiltrate the DRG after application of nucleus pulposus (NP) on the DRG, and may play an important role in radiculopathy. However, the mechanisms of macrophages infiltration after NP application remain poorly understood.MethodsAfter experimental disc herniation in this study, we investigated changes in the expression of ED1 (a marker of macrophages) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in DRG using immunofluorescence. We also investigated the expression of ED1 and VCAM-1 in DRG by treatment with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor at the time of surgery.ResultsWe found a massive ED1-positive macrophages infiltrated the DRG, and VCAM-1-like immunoreactivity vessels became evident after NP application. Furthermore, both macrophage infiltration and VCAM-1 expression were prevented by treatment with TNF-α inhibitor at the time of surgery.ConclusionThese findings indicated that macrophages infiltration into the DRG was TNF-α-dependent, and might be partly mediated by VCAM-1 in the early stage of experimental lumbar disc herination. Taken together, this study provides important preliminary data suggesting that TNF-α plays an important role in the macrophage infiltration.Level Of EvidenceN/A.

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