6-gingerol protects nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells from oxidative injury by activating autophagy

Figure 5 6-gingerol regulates the expression of extracellular matrix proteins. Nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells (NPMSCs) were treated with cell culture medium (CON group), 80 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide alone (HYD group), hydrogen peroxide and 30 μmol/L 6-gingerol (6-GIN group), or hydrogen peroxide and 6-GIN combined with 10 mmol/L 3-methyladenine (3-MA group), bar = 100 μm. A-C: The mRNA expression of aggrecan, collagen II, and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13); D-G: Representative immunofluorescence photomicrographs and quantitative analysis of fluorescence results of collagen II and MMP-13. All data are the mean ± SE of at least three independent experiments. ^eP < 0.05 vs CON group; ^fP < 0.05 vs HYD group; ^gP < 0.05 vs 6-GIN group. 6-GIN: 6-gingerol; H₂O₂: Hydrogen peroxide; 3-MA: 3-methyladenine.