A new animal model of lumbar spinal stenosis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18506
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56020:Orthopedics-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: KATO Kenji 名古屋市立大学, 医薬学総合研究院(医学), 講師 (60551166)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 腰部脊柱管狭窄症 / 黄色靱帯 / 動物モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The mechanism of thickening of the ligamentum flavum, which compresses nerves, which is the main cause of lumbar spinal canal stenosis, has not yet been elucidated, and no treatment has been established to prevent progression, and currently available drug therapy is only symptomatic treatment. In this study, we created an animal model that is expected to be used for drug development and drug evaluation. It was confirmed that lumbar instability caused by resection of the facet joints and interspinous ligaments in rat lumbar vertebrae caused thickening of the ligamentum flavum. It has been confirmed that enzymes that induce protein catabolism and proteins that suggest tissue repair and angiogenesis are expressed within the ligamentum flavum. We conclude that this animal model can be used to study the mechanism of ligamentum flavum thickening.

Free Research Field

整形外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

腰部脊柱管狭窄症の患者数は高齢化に伴い非常に多くなっている．経年的な変化によるものであるのである程度の変形や脊柱管狭窄は防ぎようがないものであるが，本研究により黄色自体肥厚には異化タンパクが関与してる可能性や，組織修復過程の過剰な反応が関与していることが示唆され，それらの発現を抑制することが肥厚の予防につながる可能性が考えられた．本動物モデルにより黄色靱帯肥厚の細胞レベルでメカニズム解明を進めることにより，脊柱管狭窄患者数の抑制を期待できるかと考えられた．