Synergistic effect of nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 on providing a Pro-survival,anti-apoptotic benefit and increased extracellular matrix synthesis in stressed rat intervertebral disc cells [Strese uğramış sıçan intervertebral disk hücrelerinde,sinir büyüme faktörü ve İnsülin benzeri büyüme faktörü-1’in pro-survival,anti-apopitotik etki ve ekstrasellüler matriks sentez artısı üzerine snerjistik etkisi]

Objective: the purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of nerve growth factor (ngf) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (igf-1) in preventing apoptosis and increasing extracellular matrix synthesis in serum deprived rat disc cells. methods: expression of tropomyosin-related kinase a (trka) receptor and igf-1 receptor (igf-1r) was examined in rat annulus fibrosus (af) cells. we identified and quantified the degree of expression of trka and igf-1r and apoptosis of the cells maintained in either 10% (normal control) or 0% (apoptosis-promoting condition) fetal bovine serum (fbs). we analyzed the effect of ngf (100 ng/ml) and igf-1 (500 ng/ml) in preventing apoptosis and increasing synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins in the cells maintained in 0% fbs. results: expression of trka and igf-1r was detectable in rat af cells and the degree of expression of trka and igf-1r decreased in the cells treated with 0% fbs but some expression was still detectable. apoptosis of the cells significantly increased when maintained in 0% fbs. despite 0% fbs condition,each application of ngf and igf-1 reduced apoptosis of the cells by 2% and 5% with a subsequent increase in synthesis of aggrecan,collagen-1 and-2. the combined application of ngf and igf-1 more significantly decreased apoptosis of the cells by 9% and increased synthesis of aggrecan,collagen-1 and -2 in the cells. conclusions: our result suggests that ngf and igf-1 may play a therapeutic role in slowing disc degeneration,which is due to an inappropriate or excessive apoptosis of the disc cells. © 2015,ege university press. all rights reserved.