Tobacco Smoke Drastically Upregulates Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression in Disc Cells Upon Suppression of the p38 MAPK Pathway

Abstract

Tobacco smoking increases the risk of back pain and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), but the mechanism of its adverse action on disc metabolism is not well understood [1, 2]. Loss of disc matrix due to dysregulated activities of matrix metalloproteinses (MMPs) is implicated in initiating the IDD cascade [3]. Tobacco smoke condensate (TSC), containing numerous inflammatory and oxidative stress inducing agents [4], has previously been shown to upregulate MMP expression in disc cells [5]. The p38 MAPK pathway is a central mediator of stress-induced MMP expression [6], but it is not known whether tobacco smoking upregulates MMP in disc cells through this pathway.