Faculty Collaboration Database

The temporal expression of adipokines during spinal fusion. Spine J 2017 Dec;17(12):1897-1906

Date

06/26/2017

Pubmed ID

28647583

DOI

10.1016/j.spinee.2017.06.019

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85026305592 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   4 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Adipokines are secreted by white adipose tissue and have been associated with fracture healing. Our goal was to report the temporal expression of adipokines during spinal fusion in an established rabbit model.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to report the temporal expression of adipokines during spinal fusion in an established rabbit model.

STUDY DESIGN: The study design included a laboratory animal model.

METHODS: New Zealand white rabbits were assigned to either sham surgery (n=2), unilateral posterior spinal fusion (n=14), or bilateral posterior spinal fusion (n=14). Rabbits were euthanized 1-6 and 10 weeks out from surgery. Fusion was evaluated by radiographs, manual palpation, and histology. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction on the bone fusion mass catalogued the gene expression of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at each time point. Results were normalized to the internal control gene, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (2^ΔCt), and control bone sites (2^ΔΔCt). Quantitative data were analyzed by two-factor analysis of variance (p<.05).

RESULTS: Manual palpation scores, radiograph scores, and histologic findings showed progression of boney fusion over time (p<.0003). The frequency of fusion by palpation after 4 weeks was 68.75%. Leptin expression in decortication and bone graft sites peaked at 5 weeks after the fusion procedure (p=.0143), adiponectin expression was greatest 1 week after surgery (p<.001), VEGF expression peaked at 4 weeks just after initial increases in leptin expression (p<.001), and resistin decreased precipitously 1 week after the fusion procedure (p<.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Leptin expression is likely associated with the maturation phase of bone fusion. Adiponectin and resistin may play a role early on during the fusion process. Our results suggest that leptin expression may be upstream of VEGF expression during spinal fusion, and both appear to play an important role in bone spinal fusion.

Author List

Virk S, Bertone AL, Hussein HH, Toth JM, Kaido M, Khan S

Author

Jeffrey M. Toth PhD Associate Dean for Research in the School of Dentistry department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adipokines
Animals
Bone Transplantation
Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (Phosphorylating)
Leptin
Lumbar Vertebrae
Postoperative Complications
Rabbits
Spinal Fusion
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A