Effect of heme oxygenase 1 on the apoptosis of human degenerated nucleus pulposus cells induced by tumor necrosis factor α

Abstract

To investigate the effect of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) on the apoptosis of human degenerated nucleus pulposus (NP) cells induced by tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and explore its possible molecular mechanism. The intervertebral disc tissues were derived from patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Then, the NP cells were cultured in vitro and the third generation of NP cells were used for subsequent experiments. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) method was used to observe the proliferative effect of TNF-α on the NP cells in vitro at the concentration of 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 ng/mL. The most apropriate concentration was selected according to the result of CCK-8. The NP cells were cultured with basal medium (control group), TNF-α (TNF-α group), TNF-α and CoPP 10 μmol/L (CoPP group), and TNF-α and ZnPP 15 μmol/L (ZnPP group), respectively. After cultured, the cell poptosis was detected by Hoechst staining and flow cytometry; the expression of cleaved Caspase-3, epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP-1), HO-1, and p-P65 proteins were detected by Western blot. In order to further explore the potential molecular mechanisms of HO-1 for cell apoptosis, the NP cells were cultured with TNF-α (TNF-α stimulated group), TNF-α and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) 5 μmol/L (TNF-α+PDTC stimulated group), respectively. Then the cell apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry at 24 hours after cultured. The optimal concentration of TNF-α was 100 ng/mL. Hoechst staining showed that a few apoptotic cells could be observed in control group and CoPP group; the apoptosis-like nucleis were observed in TNF-α group and ZnPP group, which was the most significant in ZnPP group. Flow cytometry showed that the cell apoptosis rates of TNF-α group, CoPP group, and ZnPP group were significantly increased when compared with the control group ( P<0.05). Compared with TNF-α group, the cell apoptosis rate in CoPP group decreased ( P<0.05), while in ZnPP group it increased ( P<0.05). Western blot showed that the expression of HO-1 protein in TNF-α group was decreased, and the expressions of cleaved Caspase-3, EMP-1, and p-P65 proteins were increased when compared with the control group ( P<0.05). Compared with TNF-α group, the expression of HO-1 protein in CoPP group increased, and the expressions of cleaved Caspase-3, EMP-1, and p-P65 proteins were reduced ( P<0.05); the expression of HO-1 protein in ZnPP group decreased ( P<0.05), the expressions of cleaved Caspase-3 and EMP-1 proteins increased ( P<0.05), and the expression of p-P65 protein was not significantly changed ( P>0.05). Compared with TNF-α stimulated group, the cell apoptosis rate in TNF-α+PDTC stimulated group was significantly reduced ( t=3.076, P=0.031). HO-1 can inhibit the apoptosis of degerated NP cells induced by TNF-α, and its mechanism effect is by inhibiting the nuclear factor кB signaling pathway.