Investigation of intervertebral disc degeneration using multivariate FTIR spectroscopic imaging

Traditionally tissue samples are analysed using protein or enzyme specific stains on serial sections to build up a picture of the distribution of components contained within them. In this study we investigated the potential of multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) to deconvolute 2nd derivative spectra of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscopic images measured in transflectance mode of goat and human paraffin embedded intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue sections, to see if this methodology can provide analogous information to that provided by immunohistochemical stains and bioassays but from a single section. MCR-ALS analysis of non-degenerate and enzymatically in vivo degenerated goat IVDs reveals five matrix components displaying distribution maps matching histological stains for collagen, elastin and proteoglycan (PG), as well as immunohistochemical stains for collagen type I and II. Interestingly, two components exhibiting characteristic spectral and distribution profiles of proteoglycans were found, and relative component/tissue maps of these components (labelled PG1 and PG2) showed distinct distributions in non-degenerate versus mildly degenerate goat samples. MCR-ALS analysis of human IVD sections resulted in comparable spectral profiles to those observed in the goat samples, highlighting the inter species transferability of the presented methodology. Multivariate FTIR image analysis of a set of 43 goat IVD sections allowed the extraction of semi-quantitative information from component/tissue gradients taken across the IVD width of collagen type I, collagen type II, PG1 and PG2. Regional component/tissue parameters were calculated and significant correlations were found between histological grades of degeneration and PG parameters (PG1: p = 0.0003, PG2: p < 0.0001); glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content and PGs (PG1: p = 0.0055, PG2: p = 0.0001); and MRI T2* measurements and PGs (PG1: p = 0.0021, PG2: p < 0.0001). Additionally, component/tissue parameters for collagen type I and II showed significant correlations with total collagen content (p = 0.0204, p = 0.0127). In conclusion, the presented findings illustrate, that the described multivariate FTIR imaging approach affords the necessary chemical specificity to be considered an important tool in the study of IVD degeneration in goat and human IVDs

Aquaporin expression in the human and canine intervertebral disc during maturation and degeneration

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is a highly hydrated tissue, the rich proteoglycan matrix imbibes water, enabling the disc to withstand compressive loads. During ageing and degeneration increased matrix degradation leads to dehydration and loss of function. Aquaporins (AQP) are a family of transmembrane channel proteins that selectively allow the passage of water in and out of cells and are responsible for maintaining water homeostasis in many tissues. Here, the expression of all 13 AQPs at gene and protein level was investigated in human and canine non‐degenerate and degenerate IVDs to develop an understanding of the role of AQPs during degeneration. Furthermore, in order to explore the transition of notochordal cells (NCs) towards nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, AQP expression was investigated in canine IVDs enriched in NCs to understand the role of AQPs in IVD maturation. AQP0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 were expressed at gene and protein level in both non‐degenerate and degenerate human NP tissue. AQP2 and 7 immunopositivity increased with degeneration in human NP tissue, whereas AQP4 expression decreased with degeneration in a similar way to AQP 1 and 5 shown previously. All AQP proteins that were identified in human NP tissue were also expressed in canine NP tissue. AQP2, 5, 6 and 9 were found to localise to vacuole‐like membranes and cell membranes in NC cells. In conclusion, AQPs were abundantly expressed in human and canine IVDs. The expression of many AQP isotypes potentially alludes to multi‐faceted functions related to adaption of NP cells to the conditions they encounter within their microenvironment in health and degeneration. The presence of AQPs within the IVD may suggest an adaptive role for these water channels during the development and maintenance of the healthy, mature IVD

The biodiversity hotspot as evolutionary hot-bed : spectacular radiation of Erica in the Cape Floristic Region

CITATION: Pirie, M. D., et al. 2016. The biodiversity hotspot as evolutionary hot-bed: spectacular radiation of Erica in the Cape Floristic Region.BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16:190, doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0764-3.The original publication is available at https://bmcevolbiol.biomedcentral.comBackground: The disproportionate species richness of the world’s biodiversity hotspots could be explained by low extinction (the evolutionary “museum”) and/or high speciation (the “hot-bed”) models. We test these models using the largest of the species rich plant groups that characterise the botanically diverse Cape Floristic Region (CFR): the genus Erica L. We generate a novel phylogenetic hypothesis informed by nuclear and plastid DNA sequences of c. 60 % of the c. 800 Erica species (of which 690 are endemic to the CFR), and use this to estimate clade ages (using RELTIME; BEAST), net diversification rates (GEIGER), and shifts in rates of diversification in different areas (BAMM; MuSSE). Results: The diversity of Erica species in the CFR is the result of a single radiation within the last c. 15 million years. Compared to ancestral lineages in the Palearctic, the rate of speciation accelerated across Africa and Madagascar, with a further burst of speciation within the CFR that also exceeds the net diversification rates of other Cape clades. Conclusions: Erica exemplifies the “hotbed” model of assemblage through recent speciation, implying that with the advent of the modern Cape a multitude of new niches opened and were successively occupied through local species diversification.https://bmcevolbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12862-016-0764-3Publisher's versio

Uncertainty quantification for kinetic models in socio-economic and life sciences

Kinetic equations play a major rule in modeling large systems of interacting particles. Recently the legacy of classical kinetic theory found novel applications in socio-economic and life sciences, where processes characterized by large groups of agents exhibit spontaneous emergence of social structures. Well-known examples are the formation of clusters in opinion dynamics, the appearance of inequalities in wealth distributions, flocking and milling behaviors in swarming models, synchronization phenomena in biological systems and lane formation in pedestrian traffic. The construction of kinetic models describing the above processes, however, has to face the difficulty of the lack of fundamental principles since physical forces are replaced by empirical social forces. These empirical forces are typically constructed with the aim to reproduce qualitatively the observed system behaviors, like the emergence of social structures, and are at best known in terms of statistical information of the modeling parameters. For this reason the presence of random inputs characterizing the parameters uncertainty should be considered as an essential feature in the modeling process. In this survey we introduce several examples of such kinetic models, that are mathematically described by nonlinear Vlasov and Fokker--Planck equations, and present different numerical approaches for uncertainty quantification which preserve the main features of the kinetic solution.Comment: To appear in "Uncertainty Quantification for Hyperbolic and Kinetic Equations

Cartilaginous endplates: a comprehensive review on a neglected structure in intervertebral disc research

The cartilaginous endplates (CEP) are key components of the intervertebral disc (IVD) necessary for sustaining the nutrition of the disc while distributing mechanical loads and preventing the disc from bulging into the adjacent vertebral body. The size, shape, and composition of the CEP are essential in maintaining its function, and degeneration of the CEP is considered a contributor to early IVD degeneration. In addition, the CEP is implicated in Modic changes, which are often associated with low back pain. This review aims to tackle the current knowledge of the CEP regarding its structure, composition, permeability, and mechanical role in a healthy disc, how they change with degeneration, and how they connect to IVD degeneration and low back pain. Additionally, the authors suggest a standardized naming convention regarding the CEP and bony endplate and suggest avoiding the term vertebral endplate. Currently, there is limited data on the CEP itself as reported data is often a combination of CEP and bony endplate, or the CEP is considered as articular cartilage. However, it is clear the CEP is a unique tissue type that differs from articular cartilage, bony endplate, and other IVD tissues. Thus, future research should investigate the CEP separately to fully understand its role in healthy and degenerated IVDs. Further, most IVD regeneration therapies in development failed to address, or even considered the CEP, despite its key role in nutrition and mechanical stability within the IVD. Thus, the CEP should be considered and potentially targeted for future sustainable treatments

A perspective on the ORS Spine Section initiative to develop a multi‐species JOR Spine histopathology series

This perspective summarizes the genesis, development, and potential future directions of the multispecies JOR Spine histopathology series