An Organ Culture System to Model Early Degenerative Changes of the Intervertebral Disc: II Profiling Global Gene Expression Changes

To mimic a degenerative insult, rat intervertebral discs were cultured in the presence of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and serum limiting conditions. Gene expression analysis was performed using a microarray to identify differential gene expression between experimental and control groups. The discs were collected and the annulus fibrosus (AF) was separated from the nucleus pulposus (NP). Total RNA from NP was used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays: Control group - Ctr-1, Ctr-2, Ctr-3, Ctr-4 and Experimental group-Exp-1, Exp-2, Exp-3, Exp-4.