Research Paper Volume 12, Issue 21 pp 21971—21991
CircGLCE alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration by regulating apoptosis and matrix degradation through the targeting of miR-587/STAP1
Figure 7. Overexpressed CircGLCE alleviates IDD in vivo. 12 weeks after the induction of IDD and the administration of treatments, (A) MRI was performed and images were obtained; the disc height indices after (n=3, *** P<0.001, unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test); the grading of IDD based on Pfirrmann classification (n=3, *** P<0.001, unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test). (B) RT-qPCR results indicated the CircGLCE levels corresponding to induced IDD and CircGLCE treatments (n=6, ***P < 0.001, unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test). (C) the expression of miR-587 was downregulated by overexpressing CircGLCE in an animal model of induced IDD, as shown with RT-qPCR (n=6, ***P < 0.001, unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test). (D) Cy3-tagged circGLCE NPs analysis. (E) TUNEL staining revealed the in vivo effect of overexpressed CircGLCE on apoptosis after 12 weeks. (F) RNA FISH illustrated the in vivo distribution of CircGLCE in NP tissue.