The intervertebral disc is the largest avascular structure in the body, and cells within the disc rely on diffusive transport via vasculature located within the vertebral endplate to receive nutrients, eliminate waste products, and maintain disc health. However, the mechanisms by which small molecule transport into the disc occurs in vivo and how these parameters change with disc degeneration remain understudied. Here, we utilize an in vivo rabbit puncture disc degeneration model to study these interactions and provide evidence that remodeling of the endplate adjacent to the disc occurs concomitant with degeneration. Our results identify significant increases in endplate bone volume fraction, increases in microscale stiffness of the soft tissue interfaces between the disc and vertebral bone, and reductions in endplate vascularity and small molecule transport into the disc as a function of degenerative state. A neural network model identified changes in diffusion into the disc as the most significant predictor of disc degeneration. These findings support the critical role of trans‐endplate transport in disease progression and will improve patient selection to direct appropriate surgical intervention and inform new therapeutic approaches to improve disc health. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

中文翻译：

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椎间盘退变与异常终板重塑和小分子转运减少有关。

椎间盘是体内最大的无血管结构，椎间盘内的细胞依靠位于椎骨终板内的脉管系统的弥散运输来接收营养、消除废物并保持椎间盘健康。然而，小分子转运到椎间盘的机制在体内发生，以及这些参数如何随着椎间盘退变而变化，仍有待研究。在这里，我们利用体内兔穿刺椎间盘退变模型来研究这些相互作用，并提供证据表明椎间盘附近终板的重塑伴随着退变发生。我们的结果表明终板骨体积分数显着增加，椎间盘和椎骨之间软组织界面的微观刚度增加，终板血管和小分子转运到椎间盘的减少是退行性状态的函数。神经网络模型将扩散到椎间盘的变化确定为椎间盘退变的最重要预测因素。这些发现支持跨终板转运在疾病进展中的关键作用，并将改善患者选择以指导适当的手术干预，并为改善椎间盘健康的新治疗方法提供信息。© 2020 美国骨与矿物研究学会。2020 年出版。本文为美国政府作品，在美国属于公有领域。这些发现支持跨终板转运在疾病进展中的关键作用，并将改善患者选择以指导适当的手术干预，并为改善椎间盘健康的新治疗方法提供信息。© 2020 美国骨与矿物研究学会。2020 年出版。本文为美国政府作品，在美国属于公有领域。这些发现支持跨终板转运在疾病进展中的关键作用，并将改善患者选择以指导适当的手术干预，并为改善椎间盘健康的新治疗方法提供信息。© 2020 美国骨与矿物研究学会。2020 年出版。本文为美国政府作品，在美国属于公有领域。