MicroRNA-129-5p affects immune privilege and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells via regulating FADD in intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Nan Li
Xiaohong Yang
Xiaoqi Liu
Wenli Zhou
Xiaoming Lv
Qi Gao
Journal: Cell Cycle (2020)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: Fas-associated death domain; Intervertebral disc degeneration; apoptosis; immune privilege; microRNA-129-5p
Affiliations: Department of Neonatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China., Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Jilin University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China., Department of Orthopaedics, Changchun Central Hospital, Changchun, Jilin, China.

Abstract:  Literatures indicate that microRNA-129-5p (miR-129-5p) or Fas-associated death domain (FADD) is related to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), but the effect of miR-129-5p/FADD axis on IDD is not studied. The study aimed to investigate whether miR-129-5p influenced immune privilege and nucleus pulposus (NP) cell apoptosis in rats with IDD via regulating FADD.A rat model with caudal IDD was established, and injected with miR-129-5p agomir or miR-129-5p antagomir to figure out the character of miR-129-5p in the cell apoptosis and inflammation in the nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues of IDD rats. NP cells were grouped as the same ways for determining proliferation, apoptosis, and senescence in NP cells of IDD rats. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining detected the apoptosis of macrophages and CD8+ cells co-cultured via transfected NP cells. Expression of miR-129-5p, FADD, collagen I, collagen II, aggrecan and Sox-9 in NP tissues and cells were determined.Up-regulated miR-129-5p decreased FADD, collagen I and elevated collagen Ⅱ, aggrecan, and Sox-9 in NP tissues and repressed inflammation in serum and NP tissues in IDD rats. Up-regulated miR-129-5p facilitated proliferation, inhibited senescence, apoptosis, and decreased FADD, collagen I and increased collagen Ⅱ, aggrecan, and Sox-9 in NP cells of IDD rats. Elevated miR-129-5p promoted the apoptosis of macrophages and CD8+ cells.We pronounced that up-regulated miR-129-5p inhibited the apoptosis and facilitated the proliferation of NP cells, as well as the apoptosis of macrophages and CD8+ cells via decreased FADD in IDD, suggesting that miR-129-5p had a protective effect on IDD. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 Fig 5a.  Toluidine blue staining results of NP cells in the normal and model groups . ![file] My concerns with this paper began here. Closer inspection revealed unexpected internal similarities with other images. Here, a panel of FIg 1b,  Transmission electron microscopy of NP cells (the arrow indicated mitochondria) . ![file] , 
 Three panels of Fig 2a. ![file] I am not contesting the aesthetic quality of these images, nor the amount of work that went into producing them, but I do question their scientific value. , 
 Retracted [21 June 2022] . --------------------------- We, the Editors and Publisher of the journal Cell Cycle, have retracted the following article: Nan Li, Qi Gao, Wenli Zhou, Xiaoming Lv, Xiaohong Yang, and Xiaoqi Liu. MicroRNA-129-5p affects immune privilege and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells via regulating FADD in intervertebral disc degeneration. Cell Cycle. 2020;19(8):933-948. doi: 10.1080 15384101.2020.1732515. Since publication, significant concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data and reported results in the article. When approached for an explanation, the authors did not provide their original data or any necessary supporting information. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article. The corresponding author listed in this publication has been informed. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as u2018Retractedu2019. ,