Complex Analysis of Diffusion Transport and Microstructure of an Intervertebral Disk

• Published in: Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine Vol. 164; no. 2; pp. 223 - 228
• Main Authors: Byvaltsev, V. A., Kolesnikov, S. I., Belykh, E. G., Stepanov, I. A., Kalinin, A. A., Bardonova, L. A., Sudakov, N. P., Klimenkov, I. V., Nikiforov, S. B., Semenov, A. V., Perfil’ev, D. V., Bespyatykh, I. V., Antipina, S. L., Giers, M., Prul, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.12.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aggrecan; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Cell density; Collagen; Diffusion coefficient; Electron microscopy; Extracellular matrix; Internal Medicine; Intervertebral discs; Laboratory Medicine; Magnetic resonance imaging; Nuclei; Nucleus pulposus; Nutrient transport; Pathology; collagen; magnetic resonance imaging; intervertebral disk; degeneration; diffuse weighed image
• ISSN: 0007-4888; 1573-8221
• DOI: 10.1007/s10517-017-3963-z

We studied the relationship between diffusion transport and morphological and microstructural organization of extracellular matrix of human intervertebral disk. Specimens of the lumbar intervertebral disks without abnormalities were studied ex vivo by diffusion-weighed magnetic resonance imaging, histological and immunohistochemical methods, and electron microscopy. Distribution of the diffusion coefficient in various compartments of the intervertebral disk was studied. Significant correlations between diffusion coefficient and cell density in the nucleus pulposus, posterior aspects of annulus fibrosus, and endplate at the level of the posterior annulus fibrosus were detected for each disk. In disks with nucleus pulposus diffusion coefficient below 15×10 -4 mm 2 /sec, collagens X and XI were detected apart from aggrecan and collagens I and II. The results supplement the concept on the relationship between the microstructure and cell composition of various compartments of the intervertebral disk and parameters of nutrient transport.