RNA m6A modification regulates cell fate transition between pluripotent stem cells and 2-cell-like cells.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) exerts essential roles in early embryos, especially in the maternal-to-zygotic transition stage. However, the landscape and roles of RNA m6A modification during the transition between pluripotent stem cells and 2-cell-like (2C-like) cells remain elusive. Here, we utilised ultralow-input RNA m6A immunoprecipitation to depict the dynamic picture of transcriptome-wide m6A modifications during 2C-like transitions. We found that RNA m6A modification was preferentially enriched in zygotic genome activation (ZGA) transcripts and MERVL with high expression levels in 2C-like cells. During the exit of the 2C-like state, m6A facilitated the silencing of ZGA genes and MERVL. Notably, inhibition of m6A methyltransferase METTL3 and m6A reader protein IGF2BP2 is capable of significantly delaying 2C-like state exit and expanding 2C-like cells population. Together, our study reveals the critical roles of RNA m6A modification in the transition between 2C-like and pluripotent states, facilitating the study of totipotency and cell fate decision in the future.

Thiosemicarbazone Mixed-Valence Cu(I/II) Complex against Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells through Multiple Pathways Involving Cuproptosis.

Induction of cuproptosis and targeting of multiple signaling pathways show promising applications in tumor therapy. In this study, we synthesized two thiosemicarbazone-copper complexes ([CuII(L)Cl] 1 and [CuII2CuI(L)2Cl3] 2, where HL is the (E)-N-methyl-2-(phenyl(pyridin-2-yl)methylene ligand), to assess their antilung cancer activities. Both copper complexes showed better anticancer activity than cisplatin and exhibited hemolysis comparable to that of cisplatin. In vivo experiments showed that complex 2 retarded the A549 cell growth in a mouse xenograft model with low systemic toxicity. Primarily, complex 2 kills lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by triggering multiple pathways, including cuproptosis. Complex 2 is the first mixed-valent Cu(I/II) complex to induce cellular events consistent with cuproptosis in cancer cells, which may stimulate the development of mixed-valent copper complexes and provide effective cancer therapy.

Initial Oxidation Behavior of AlCoCrFeNi High-Entropy Coating Produced by Atmospheric Plasma Spraying in the Range of 650 °C to 1000 °C.

As protective coatings for the thermal parts of aero-engines, AlCoCrFeNi coatings have good application prospects. In this study, atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) was used to prepare AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy coatings (HECs), which were oxidized from 650 °C to 1000 °C. The mechanism of the oxide layer formation and the internal phase transition were systematically investigated. The results show that a mixed oxide scale with a laminated structure was formed at the initial stage of oxidation. The redistribution of elements and phase transition occurred in the HECs' matrix; the BCC/B2 structure transformed to Al-Ni ordered B2 phase and Fe-Cr disordered A2 phase.

Measurement and Analysis of the Vibration Responses of Piano Soundboards with Different Structures.

The effect of structure on the vibration response was explored for four piano soundboards with different but commonly adopted structures. The vibration response was obtained using the free-vibration method, and the values of the dynamic modulus of elasticity and dynamic shear modulus obtained using the free-vibration frequency method (EF and GF) were compared with the dynamic modulus of elasticity obtained using the Euler beam method (EE) and dynamic shear modulus obtained using the free-plate torsional vibration method (GT), respectively. It was found that the soundboards with different structures had different vibration modes and that excitation at different locations highlighted different vibration modes. For all the soundboards analyzed, the EE and GT were higher than EF and GF by 2.2% and 24.3%, respectively. However, the trends of the results of these methods were the same. The four piano soundboards with different structures possessed varying dynamic moduli of elasticity and dynamic shear moduli. These rules are consistent with the grain directions of the soundboards and the anisotropy of the wood (the direction of the units of the soundboards). The results show that the vibration mode of the piano soundboard is complex. The dynamic elastic modulus of the soundboard can be calculated using the Euler beam method. The results provide a reference for studies on the vibration response, material selection, production technology, and testing of piano soundboards.

Emodin ameliorates matrix degradation and apoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells and attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration through LRP1 in vitro and in vivo.

Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with a strong correlation to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Inflammation-induced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation plays a major role in IDD's progression. Emodin, known for its anti-inflammatory effects and ability to inhibit ECM degradation in osteoarthritis, but its role in IDD is unclear. Our study aimed to explore emodin's role and mechanisms on IDD both in vivo and in vitro. We discovered that emodin positively regulated anabolic markers (COL2A1, aggrecan) and negatively impacted catabolic markers (MMP3, MMP13) in nucleus pulposus cells, while also inhibiting cell apoptosis under inflammation environment. We revealed that emodin inhibits inflammation-induced NF-ĸB activation by suppressing the degradation of LRP1 via the proteasome pathway. Additionally, LRP1 was validated as essential to emodin's regulation of ECM metabolism and apoptosis, both in vitro and in vivo. Ultimately, we demonstrated that emodin effectively alleviates IDD in a rat model. Our findings uncover the novel pathway of emodin inhibiting ECM degradation and apoptosis through the inhibition of NF-κB via LRP1, thus alleviating IDD. This study not only broadens our understanding of emodin's role and mechanism in IDD treatment but also guides future therapeutic interventions.

Genome and whole-genome resequencing of Cinnamomum camphora elucidate its dominance in subtropical urban landscapes.

BACKGROUND: Lauraceae is well known for its significant phylogenetic position as well as important economic and ornamental value; however, most evergreen species in Lauraceae are restricted to tropical regions. In contrast, camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) is the most dominant evergreen broadleaved tree in subtropical urban landscapes. RESULTS: Here, we present a high-quality reference genome of C. camphora and conduct comparative genomics between C. camphora and C. kanehirae. Our findings demonstrated the significance of key genes in circadian rhythms and phenylpropanoid metabolism in enhancing cold response, and terpene synthases (TPSs) improved defence response with tandem duplication and gene cluster formation in C. camphora. Additionally, the first comprehensive catalogue of C. camphora based on whole-genome resequencing of 75 accessions was constructed, which confirmed the crucial roles of the above pathways and revealed candidate genes under selection in more popular C. camphora, and indicated that enhancing environmental adaptation is the primary force driving C. camphora breeding and dominance. CONCLUSIONS: These results decipher the dominance of C. camphora in subtropical urban landscapes and provide abundant genomic resources for enlarging the application scopes of evergreen broadleaved trees.

Gut microbiota interactions with antitumor immunity in colorectal cancer: From understanding to application.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of highly prevalent cancer. Immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has dramatically changed the landscape of treatment for many advanced cancers, but CRC still exhibits suboptimal response to immunotherapy. The gut microbiota can affect both anti-tumor and pro-tumor immune responses, and further modulate the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, particularly in the context of therapy with ICIs. Therefore, a deeper understanding of how the gut microbiota modulates immune responses is crucial to improve the outcomes of CRC patients receiving immunotherapy and to overcome resistance in nonresponders. The present review aims to describe the relationship between the gut microbiota, CRC, and antitumor immune responses, with a particular focus on key studies and recent findings on the effect of the gut microbiota on the antitumor immune activity. We also discuss the potential mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influences host antitumor immune responses as well as the prospective role of intestinal flora in CRC treatment. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential and limitations of different modulation strategies for the gut microbiota are also discussed. These insights may facilitate to better comprehend the interplay between the gut microbiota and the antitumor immune responses of CRC patients and provide new research pathways to enhance immunotherapy efficacy and expand the patient population that could be benefited by immunotherapy.

Comprehensive analysis of angiogenesis pattern and related immune landscape for individual treatment in osteosarcoma.

Postoperative recurrence and metastasis are the main reasons for the poor prognosis of osteosarcoma (OS). Currently, an ideal predictor for not only prognosis but also drug sensitivity and immunotherapy responses in OS patients is urgently needed. Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumour progression, which suggests its immense potential for predicting prognosis and responses to immunotherapy for OS. Angiogenesis patterns in OS were explored in depth in this study to construct a prognostic model called ANGscore and clarify the underlying mechanism involved in the immune microenvironment. The efficacy and robustness of the model were validated in multiple datasets, including bulk RNA-seq datasets (TARGET-OS, GSE21257), a single-cell RNA-seq dataset (GSE152048) and immunotherapy-related datasets (GSE91061, GSE173839). OS patients with a high ANGscore had a worse prognosis, accompanied by the immune desert phenotype. Pseudotime and cellular communication analyses in scRNA-seq data revealed that as the ANGscore increased, the malignant degree of cells increased, and IFN-γ signalling was involved in tumour progression and regulation of the tumour immune microenvironment. Furthermore, the ANGscore was associated with immune cell infiltration and the response rate to immunotherapy. OS patients with high ANGscore might be resistant to uprosertib, and be sensitive to VE821, AZD6738 and BMS.345541. In conclusion, we established a novel ANGscore system by comprehensively analysing the expression pattern of angiogenesis genes, which can accurately differentiate the prognosis and immune characteristics of OS populations. Additionally, the ANGscore can be used for patient stratification during immunotherapy, and guide individualized treatment strategies.

TAK-715 alleviated IL-1ß-induced apoptosis and ECM degradation in nucleus pulposus cells and attenuated intervertebral disc degeneration ex vivo and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is one of the most common disorders related to the spine. Inflammation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation contribute to disc degeneration in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). This study focused on the role and mechanism of the p38 inhibitor TAK-715 in intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS: NPCs were treated with IL-1ß to mimic apoptosis, followed by the addition of TAK-715. It was determined that apoptosis, inflammatory mediators (COX-2), inflammatory cytokines (HMGB1), and ECM components (collagen II, MMP9, ADAMTS5, and MMP3) existed in NPCs. In addition, the p38MAPK signaling pathways were examined. The role of TAK-715 in vivo was determined by acupuncture-induced intervertebral disc degeneration. Following an intradiscal injection of TAK-715, MRI and a histopathological analysis were conducted to assess the degree of degeneration. RESULTS: IL-1ß-induced apoptosis was alleviated by TAK-715 in vitro, and antiapoptotic proteins were upregulated. Furthermore, TAK-715 blocked IL-1ß-induced inflammatory mediator production (COX-2) and inflammatory cytokine production (HMGB1) and degraded the ECM (collagen II, MMP9, ADAMTS5, and MMP3). By inhibiting the phosphorylation of p38, TAK-715 exerted its effects. In a rat tail model, TAK-715 ameliorates puncture-induced disc degeneration based on MRI and histopathology evaluations. CONCLUSION: TAK-715 attenuated intervertebral disc degeneration in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that it might be an effective treatment for IDD.

Remodeling of H3K9me3 during the pluripotent to totipotent-like state transition.

Multiple chromatin modifiers associated with H3K9me3 play important roles in the transition from embryonic stem cells to 2-cell (2C)-like cells. However, it remains elusive how H3K9me3 is remodeled and its association with totipotency. Here, we integrated transcriptome and H3K9me3 profiles to conduct a detailed comparison of 2C embryos and 2C-like cells. Globally, H3K9me3 is highly preserved and H3K9me3 dynamics within the gene locus is not associated with gene expression change during 2C-like transition. Promoter-deposited H3K9me3 plays non-repressive roles in the activation of genes during 2C-like transition. In contrast, transposable elements, residing in the nearby regions of up-regulated genes, undergo extensive elimination of H3K9me3 and are tended to be induced in 2C-like transitions. Furthermore, a large fraction of trophoblast stem cell-specific enhancers undergo loss of H3K9me3 exclusively in MERVL+/Zscan4+ cells. Our study therefore reveals the unique H3K9me3 profiles of 2C-like cells, facilitating the further exploration of totipotency.

A novel genome sequence of Jasminum sambac helps uncover the molecular mechanism underlying the accumulation of jasmonates.

Jasminum sambac is a well-known plant for its attractive and exceptional fragrance, the flowers of which are used to produce scented tea. Jasmonate (JA), an important plant hormone was first identified in Jasminum species. Jasmine plants contain abundant JA naturally, of which the molecular mechanisms of synthesis and accumulation are not clearly understood. Here, we report a telomere-to-telomere consensus assembly of a double-petal J. sambac genome along with two haplotype-resolved genomes. We found that gain-and-loss, positive selection, and allelic specific expression of aromatic volatile-related genes contributed to the stronger flower fragrance in double-petal J. sambac compared with single- and multi-petal jasmines. Through comprehensive comparative genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses of double-petal J. sambac, we revealed the genetic basis of the production of aromatic volatiles and salicylic acid (SA), and the accumulation of JA under non-stress conditions. We identified several key genes associated with JA biosynthesis, and their non-stress related activities lead to extraordinarily high concentrations of JA in tissues. High JA synthesis coupled with low degradation in J. sambac results in accumulation of high JA under typical environmental conditions, similar to the accumulation mechanism of SA. This study offers important insights into the biology of J. sambac, and provides valuable genomic resources for further utilization of natural products.

Correlation between posterior paraspinal muscle atrophy and lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Although enormous studies have been devoted to solving the problem of intervertebral disc degeneration/herniation, little attention is paid to the effect of paraspinal muscles on it. We aimed to investigate the correlation between paraspinal muscle atrophy and lumbar disc degeneration to recognize paraspinal muscle atrophy and its importance to the spine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 107 patients were enrolled in the study (65 females, 42 males; age 50.87 ± 15.391 years old). Cross-sectional area, functional cross-sectional area, and fatty infiltration of the posterior paraspinal muscles were measured at the level of L4/5, and the degree of facet joint degeneration was evaluated at the levels of L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1 by MRI. After controlling the confounding factors by multiple linear regression, the correlations among paraspinal muscle atrophy, disc degeneration, and facet joint degeneration were analyzed. Meanwhile, Pearson/Spearson rank analysis was used to analyze the correlation between clinical symptoms (VAS and ODI) and paraspinal muscle atrophy. RESULTS: There was a strong correlation between paraspinal muscle atrophy and disc degeneration after controlling the confounding factors (p < 0.05, R > 0.5). There was a weak correlation between paraspinal muscle atrophy and facet joint degeneration (p < 0.05, R < 0.5). There was a significant correlation between facet joint degeneration and intervertebral disc degeneration (p < 0.05, R > 0.7). The fatty infiltration of paraspinal muscle was weakly correlated with ODI (p < 0.05, R < 0.3), but VAS was not. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of paraspinal muscle atrophy increased with lumbar disc degeneration and facet joint degeneration and fatty infiltration of multifidus was more susceptible to weight.

AOSRV: Development and preliminary performance assessment of a new robotic system for autonomous percutaneous vertebroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is one of the most effective treatments for patients with vertebral fracture that need surgical treatment, and surgical robotics are promising tools to provide surgeons with improved precision, surgical efficiency and reduce radiation exposure. However, there are currently few robotics that are developed to help assist with PVP. METHODS: A new spinal surgical robotic system 'AOSRV' for autonomous vertebral puncture and bone cement injection was designed and customised in this study. To investigate its practical abilities and the advantages, we performed single-segment/double-segment PVP simulation surgeries on pig spinal specimens manually and using AOSRV. RESULTS: By contrast with the freehand group (FG) in single-segment (SS)/double-segment (DS) surgery, the robotic group (RG) was superior in the operation time (RGSS = 21.14 ± 4.11 min, FGSS = 33.17 ± 6.83 min; RGDS = 42.39 ± 7.31 min, FGDS = 62.86 ± 20.39 min), puncture adjustments (RGSS = 2.30 ± 1.77, FGSS = 14.86 ± 5.46; RGDS = 3.91 ± 1.76, FGDS = 20.00 ± 7.76), intraoperative fluoroscopies (RGSS = 4.10 ± 1.52, FGSS = 20.57 ± 5.44; RGDS = 7.82 ± 1.40, FGDS = 25.91 ± 7.23) and bone cement leakage rate (RGSS = 30%, FGSS = 71.4%; RGDS = 38.6%, FGDS = 83.3%). CONCLUSIONS: AOSRV was successfully developed and had a promising preliminary performance. An innovative attempt was made for the blank space of the autonomous vertebroplasty surgical robotics, and it may shed a light on more promising applications in the future.

Retraction Notice to: Silencing of Long Non-coding RNA HOTTIP Reduces Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Demethylation of SFRP1.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.11.015.].

Ultralight, Mechanically Enhanced, and Thermally Improved Graphene-Cellulose-Polyethyleneimine Aerogels for the Adsorption of Anionic and Cationic Dyes.

Graphene-cellulose-polyethyleneimine aerogels (GA-MCC-PEI) were prepared using a simple, environmentally friendly method to remove anionic and cationic dyes in water. Graphene-cellulose hydrogels were prepared using a hydrothermal method and then immersed in a polyethyleneimine aqueous solution for 48 h to obtain graphene-cellulose-polyethyleneimine hydrogels, which were then freeze-dried. The light and porous composite aerogels had a good compression resistance, and the maximum allowable pressure of the graphene-cellulose-polyethyleneimine aerogel with a cellulose content of 43% was 21.76 kPa, which was 827 times its weight. Adsorption of the anionic dye amaranth and the cationic dye methylene blue by the graphene-cellulose-polyethyleneimine aerogel was satisfactorily modeled using the Langmuir isothermal equation, indicating monolayer adsorption. When the cellulose content was 39%, the equilibrium adsorption capacities of the composite aerogel for amaranth and methylene blue were 369.37 mg/g and 237.33 mg/g, respectively. This graphene-cellulose-polyethyleneimine aerogel can be used to remove dye pollutants in water to maintain ecological balance, thus broadening the application space of aerogel materials, that is, as adsorbents in different environments.

Glomus tumor of uncertain malignant potential within the cervical spine: a case report.

The case report details the first glomus tumor (GT) of uncertain malignant potential within the cervical spine. The patient had been experiencing neck pain and numbness of the left side of her body for 3 months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a lesion with the dimensions 22 mm × 11 mm in the left side of the intervertebral foramen and epidural of C1-5. When the patient appeared aggravating symptoms, we performed an emergency surgery to relieve the spinal cord compression resulting from the growing tumor. During the surgery, a grey-brown friable tumor was observed, and the tumor was located both outside and inside of the cervical spine. Morphological and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis showed that the lesion was a globular tumor with uncertain malignant potential. After the surgery, the patient received adjuvant radiotherapy consisting of 58.9 Gy in 23 fractions postoperatively. The MRI at 4 months after the surgery showed a progression of the tumor, at which point the patient ceased treatment. GT of uncertain malignant potential within the cervical spine lacks specific clinical manifestations and reliable non-invasive means of examination, so its diagnosis depends on pathological biopsy and IHC examination. Surgical excision is the first treatment to relieve the symptoms of nerve compression. Further research of postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy is required to improve treatment options.

DZNep promotes mouse bone defect healing via enhancing both osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a novel oncogene that can specifically trimethylate the histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) to transcriptionally inhibit the expression of downstream tumor-suppressing genes. As a small molecular inhibitor of EZH2, 3-Deazaneplanocin (DZNep) has been widely studied due to the role of tumor suppression. With the roles of epigenetic regulation of bone cells emerged in past decades, the property and molecular mechanism of DZNep on enhancing osteogenesis had been reported and attracted a great deal of attention recently. This study aims to elucidate the role of DZNep on EZH2-H3K27me3 axis and downstream factors during both osteoclasts and osteoblasts formation and the therapeutic possibility of DZNep on bone defect healing. METHODS: Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) cells were cultured, and their responsiveness to DZNep was evaluated by cell counting kit-8, TRAP staining assay, bone resorption assay, podosome actin belt. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) were cultured and their responsiveness to DZNep was evaluated by cell counting kit-8, ALP and AR staining assay. The expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Wnt signaling pathway was determined by qPCR and western blotting. Mouse bone defect models were created, rescued by DZNep injection, and the effectiveness was evaluated by X-ray and micro-CT and histological staining. RESULTS: Consistent with the previous study that DZNep enhances osteogenesis via Wnt family member 1(Wnt1), Wnt6, and Wnt10a, our results showed that DZNep also promotes osteoblasts differentiation and mineralization through the EZH2-H3K27me3-Wnt4 axis. Furthermore, we identified that DZNep promoted the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast formation via facilitating the phosphorylation of IKKα/ß, IκB, and subsequently NF-κB nuclear translocation, which credit to the EZH2-H3K27me3-Foxc1 axis. More importantly, the enhanced osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis result in accelerated mice bone defect healing in vivo. CONCLUSION: DZNep targeting EZH2-H3K27me3 axis facilitated the healing of mice bone defect via simultaneously enhancing osteoclastic bone resorption and promoting osteoblastic bone formation.

Integrative analysis of long non-coding RNA and messenger RNA expression in toll-like receptor 4-primed mesenchymal stem cells of ankylosing spondylitis.

BACKGROUND: The precise pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is still largely unknown at present. Our previous study found that toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) downregulated and performed immunoregulatory dysfunction in mesenchymal stem cells from AS patients (AS-MSCs). The aim of this study was to explore the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in TLR4-primed AS-MSCs, and to clarify the potential mechanisms. METHODS: The immunoregulatory effects of MSCs were determined after TLR4 activation. Next, the differentially-expressed (DE) lncRNAs and mRNAs between AS-MSCs and TLR4-primed AS-MSCs [stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] were identified via high-throughput sequencing followed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) confirmation. Finally, bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify the critical biological functions, signaling pathways, and associated functional networks involved in the TLR4-primed immunoregulatory function of AS-MSCs. RESULTS: A total of 147 DE lncRNAs and 698 DE mRNAs were identified between TLR4-primed AS-MSCs and unstimulated AS-MSCs. Of these, 107 lncRNAs were upregulated and 40 were downregulated (fold change ≥2, P<0.05), while 504 mRNAs were upregulated and 194 were downregulated (fold change ≥2, P<0.05). Five lncRNAs and five mRNAs with the largest fold changes were respectively verified by qRT-PCR. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses demonstrated that the DE mRNAs and lncRNAs were highly associated with the inflammatory response, such as NOD-like receptor (NLR) signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway and the NF-κB signaling pathway. Cis-regulation prediction revealed eight novel lncRNAs, while trans-regulation prediction revealed 15 lncRNAs, respectively. Eight core pairs of lncRNA and target mRNA in the lncRNA-transcription factor (TF)-mRNA network were as follows: PACERR-PTGS2, LOC105378085-SOD2, LOC107986655-HIVEP2, MICB-DT-MICB, LOC105373925-SP140L, LOC107984251-IFIT5, LOC112268267-GBP2, and LOC101926887-IFIT3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TLR4 activation in AS can enhance the immunoregulatory ability of MSCs. Eight core pairs of lncRNA and target mRNA were observed in TLR4-primed AS-MSCs, which could contribute to understanding the potential mechanism of AS-MSC immunoregulatory dysfunction.

Prediction of a Potential Mechanism of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Based on a Novel Competitive Endogenous RNA Network.

Low back pain which resulted from intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common health problem that afflicts people all over the world. Due to the lack of an overall understanding of the molecular interactions involved in IDD, we hope to better understand the pathogenetic mechanisms that drive the degenerative process. The purpose of this study is to obtain mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs associated with IDD gained from public databases and to establish an interaction network. According to the results of microarray analysis and bioinformatics analysis from the contrast of IDD and normal nucleus pulposus tissues, a total of 49 mRNAs, 10 miRNAs, 30 lncRNAs, and 4 circRNAs were obtained and a lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction network was constructed. NEAT1-miR-5100-COL10A1 and miR663AHG/HEIH/hsa-circ-0003600-miR-4741-HAS2/HYAL1/LYVE1 might be potential interaction axes of the molecular mechanism in IDD. The increased expression of NEAT1 might inhibit miR-5100 and subsequently upregulate the expression of COL10A1, which leads to IDD, while the increased expression of miR663AHG/HEIH/hsa-circ-0003600 might inhibit miR-4741 and indirectly upregulate HAS2/HYAL1/LYVE1, and leads to the protection from IDD. More interaction axes are to be exploited to provide theoretical bases for further study on IDD.