Resveratrol protects against mitochondrial dysfunction through autophagy activation in human nucleus pulposus cells

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is closely related with aging, whereas mitochondrial damage is a common feature of aging that results in cell apoptosis. Resveratrol (RES) is a natural antioxidant that protects against mitochondrial dysfunction in various cells. This study aimed to investigate the protective role of RES against mitochondrial dysfunction and human nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) apoptosis. We found that mitochondrial dysfunction and NPC apoptosis could be induced under oxidative stress by 100 μmol/l of H2O2. However, RES tended to attenuate the H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity. Therefore, autophagic state was evaluated in NPCs to further reveal the underlying mechanism. Results showed that RES reversed the impaired autophagy induced by H2O2, and this increased autophagic flux was confirmed by the addition of bafilomycin A1. Moreover, pretreatment with 3-methyladenine showed that the potential mechanism of RES to prevent deteriorating mitochondrial function and cell apoptosis was related to autophagy activation. Furthermore, MRI and histological detection were employed to provide more solid evidence that RES injection in an IVDD rabbit model effectively retards the degenerative process of the intervertebral discs in vivo. In summary, these results suggested that RES could alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis under oxidative stress and may delay the progression of disc degeneration, whose mechanism is associated with an advantageous role of autophagy induced by RES.