BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapies have been applied to stimulate bone healing and to reduce the symptoms of @entity625 , but the effects of PEMF on intervertebral disc (IVD) biology is unknown. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine how PEMF affects gene expression of IVD cells in normal and inflammatory environments. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: This was an in vitro @entity1 cell culture and microarray gene expression study. METHODS: @entity1 annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were separately encapsulated in alginate beads and exposed to @entity1192 (10 ng/mL) to stimulate the inflammatory environment associated with @entity1797 and/or stimulated by PEMF for four hours daily for up to seven days. RNA was isolated from each treatment group and analyzed via microarray to assess @entity1192 - and PEMF-induced changes in gene expression. The study was funded in part by Orthofix, Inc. (approximately  200,000) and authors James T. Ryaby and Eric I. Waldorff are Orthofix, Inc. employees. RESULTS: Although PEMF treatment did not completely inhibit the effects of @entity1192 , PEMF treatment lessened the @entity1192 -induced upregulation of genes expressed in degenerated IVDs. Consistent with our previous results, after 4 days PEMF tended to reduce @entity1192 -associated gene expression of @entity650 (25%, p = 0.07) in NP cells and @entity1550 (26%, p = 0.10) in AF cells. Additionally, PEMF treatment significantly diminished @entity1192 -induced gene expression of @entity4155 (33%, p = 0.01) and @entity1476 (24%, p = 0.006) in NP cells and NFkB (11%, p = 0.04) in AF cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that IVD cells are responsive to PEMF and motivate future studies to determine whether PEMF may be helpful for @entity1 with @entity1797 .

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) treatment reduces expression of genes associated with XXXX in @entity1 intervertebral disc cells.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['human', 'patients', 'Human'] @entity650 :: ('3569', 'Gene') :: ['IL-6'] @entity625 :: ('MESH:D001168', 'Disease') :: ['arthritis'] @entity1476 :: ('4313', 'Gene') :: ['MMP2'] @entity1797 :: ('MESH:D055959', 'Disease') :: ['IVD degeneration'] @entity1550 :: ('4322', 'Gene') :: ['MMP13'] @entity4155 :: ('3605', 'Gene') :: ['IL-17A'] @entity1192 :: ('3552', 'Gene') :: ['IL-1a']
@entity1797 :: (MESH:D055959,Disease) :: ['disc degeneration']
