Title : Ozone therapy mitigates early intervertebral disc degeneration by reducing oxidative stress and blocking the PI3K/Akt/NF-?B pathway
Abstract:
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the leading cause of low back pain, posing a significant challenge as current conservative and surgical treatments fail to provide a definitive cure. Ozone therapy (O?-O?) has shown promise in addressing intervertebral disc pathologies, but its effectiveness in treating IDD remains uncertain. This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of intradiscal ozone injection in a rat model of IDD. The viability of nucleus pulposus cells following ozone therapy was assessed using CCK-8 assays. Macrophage activity was examined through immunohistochemistry, collagen type II expression via western blot, and oxidative stress parameters were measured. Molecular docking studies predicted interactions between ozone and key enzymes, specifically PI3K and COX-2. Imaging techniques (MRI and X-ray), along with histological analyses (hematoxylin-eosin and Alcian blue staining), were employed to evaluate the effects of ozone therapy on puncture-induced IDD. The results demonstrated that ozone therapy improved early-stage IDD by mitigating oxidative stress and inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway, as suggested by molecular docking showing ozone binding to PI3K. However, ozone therapy was ineffective in reversing advanced inflammatory damage to intervertebral discs. These findings highlight the potential of ozone therapy as an effective treatment for early-stage IDD, supporting its role in preventing disease progression through targeted molecular mechanisms.
