Genetics- and age-driven neuroimmune and disc changes underscore herniation susceptibility and pain-associated behaviors in SM/J mice.

ABSTRACT: There are no appropriate mouse models to study the pathophysiology of spontaneous disc herniations in a wild-type setting. SM/J mice, a poor healer inbred strain, presented a high incidence of age-associated lumbar disc herniations with neurovascular innervations. Transcriptomic comparisons of the SM/J annulus fibrosus with human tissues showed shared pathways related to immune cell activation and inflammation. Notably, aged SM/J mice showed increased pain sensitization and neuroinflammation with altered extracellular matrix regulation in the dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord. There were increased T cells in the vertebral marrow, and cytometry by time-of-flight analysis showed increased splenic CD8+ T cells, nonspecific activation of CD8+ memory T cells, and enhanced interferon-γ product

SUBMITTER: Novais EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12017323 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature