Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is responsible for severe clinical symptoms including chronic back pain. Galectins are a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins, some of which can induce functional disease markers in IVD cells and other musculoskeletal diseases. Galectins −4 and −8 were shown to trigger disease-promoting activity in chondrocytes but their effects on IVD cells have not been investigated yet. This study elucidates the role of galectin-4 and −8 in IVD degeneration. Immunohistochemical evidence for the presence of galectin-4 and −8 in the IVD was comparatively provided in specimens of 36 patients with spondylochondrosis, spondylolisthesis, or spinal deformity. Confocal microscopy revealed co-localization of galectin-4 and −8 in chondrocyte clusters of degenerated cartilage. The immunohistochemical presence of galectin-4 correlated with histopathological and clinical degeneration scores of patients, whereas galectin-8 did not show significant correlations. The specimens were separated into annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP) and endplate, which was confirmed histologically. Separate cell cultures of AF and NP (n=20) were established and characterized using cell type-specific markers. Potential binding sites for galectins including sialylated N-glycans and LacdiNAc structures were determined in AF and NP cells using LC/ESI-MS-MS. To assess galectin functions, cell cultures were treated with recombinant galectin-4 or −8, in comparison to IL-1β, and analyzed using RT-qPCR and In-cell Western blot. In vitro, both galectins triggered the induction of functional disease markers (CXCL8 and MMP3) on mRNA level and activated the nuclear factor-kB pathway. NP cells were significantly more responsive to galectin-8 and Il-1β than AF cells. Phosphorylation of p-65 was time-dependently induced by both galectins in both cell types to a comparable extent. Taken together, this study provides evidence for a functional role of glycobiological processes in IVD degeneration and highlights galectin-4 and −8 as regulators of pro-inflammatory and degrative processes in AF and NP cells.
