MEDICINAL COMPOSITION FOR AMELIORATING AND TREATING INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DEGENERATION AND LOW BACK PAIN, AND METHOD FOR SCREENING THERAPEUTIC AGENT

摘要

It was found that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and tocopherol are efficacious as a therapeutic agent for ameliorating intervertebral disc degeneration as well as low back pain and other diseases caused thereby. By clarifying that oxidation stress is one of the factors causing intervertebral disc degeneration, provided is a method for screening a drug for intervertebral disc degeneration and low back pain, said drug targeting oxidation stress. Also, a method for quantitatively evaluating intervertebral disc degeneration using MRI images is developed.