Figure 5

Metformin treatment reduces nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis under oxidative stress. (a–b) TUNEL assay was performed in nucleus pulposus cells as treated above (original magnification × 200, scale bar: 50 μm). (c–f)The protein expression of cleaved-caspase3, Bax and Bcl-2 in nucleus pulposus cells treated as above. The data in the figures represent the averages±S.D. Significant differences between the treatment and control groups are indicated as **P<0.01, *P<0.05, n=3