Journal of Shandong University (Health Sciences) ›› 2026, Vol. 64 ›› Issue (5): 50-60.doi: 10.6040/j.issn.1671-7554.0.2025.0945

• Preclinical Medicine • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Role and mechanism of matrix Gla protein in fibrotic scar formation after spinal cord injury

ZHAO Xiangrui1, YIN Yongcheng1, FANG Yuepeng2, YANG Zhijie2, NING Bin2   

  1. 1. School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong, China;
    2. Department of Spine Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250013, Shandong, China
  • Online:2026-05-13 Published:2026-05-13

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Abstract: Objective To investigate the role and underlying mechanism of the matrix Gla protein(MGP)in fibrous scar formation after spinal cord injury(SCI). Methods Six C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the sham group(n=3)and the spinal cord injury group(n=3). A mouse model of SCI was established. On postoperative day 7, spinal cord tissue was harvested from theepicenter of the lesion of the spinal cord injury group and the anatomically corresponding segments of the sham group for transcriptome sequencing. The differentially expressed gene MGP(|log2FC|>1 and Padj< 0.05)were screened and validated. To investigate the role of MGP, western blotting, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescence were used to assess the expression of fibrosis markers and the activity of the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway in mouse embryonic fibroblasts(MEFs)and primary spinal cord fibroblasts after MGP knockdown. Finally, the inclined plane test and Basso mouse scale(BMS)scores were used to assess the impact of fibroblast-specific MGP knockdown on motor function recovery in mice after SCI. Results The results of transcriptome sequencing showed that the expression of MGP in the spinal cord injury group was higher than in the sham group(P<0.05); During the TGF-β-induced fibrogenesis process, MGP knockdown in MEFs and primary spinal cord fibroblasts significantly reduced the expressions of mRNA and proteins of fibronectin 1, type I collagen, and α-smooth muscle actin, as well as the phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3, compared to the induced state(P<0.05). The fibroblast-specific suppression of MGP in mice significantly promoted recovery ofmotor function after SCI(P<0.05). Conclusion MGP may modulate fibrous scar formation after SCI by targeting the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway.

Key words: Spinal cord injury, Matrix Gla protein, Primary spinal cord fibroblasts, Fibrotic scar, SMAD proteins

CLC Number: 

  • R322.81
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