Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 Knockdown Decreases Extracellular Matrix Synthesis via Autophagy Suppression in the Rat Intervertebral Disc.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) has been identified as a Ca²⁺-permeable channel and is activated under physiological mechanical stimulation in disc nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Meanwhile, the Ca²⁺-dependent AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mTOR pathway activates autophagy in notochordal cells. We hypothesized that TRPV4 is involved in the maintenance of intradiscal homeostasis via autophagy. Our objective was to elucidate the role of TRPV4 in extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism and autophagy in the rat intervertebral disc through a loss-of-function study with the RNA interference (RNAi) technique.

Methods

In vitro study: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was applied to knockdown TRPV4 by the reverse transfection method in ra

SUBMITTER: Matsuo T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11832302 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature