Imbalanced metabolism of Nucleus pulposus (NP) extracellular matrix (ECM) is closely correlated to Intervertebral Disc Degenerative Disease. LIM mineralization protein-1 (LMP-1) has been proven to induce sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) production in NP and have an anti-inflammatory effect in pre-osteoclast. However, whether it has any effect on the NP ECM production and degradation under inflammatory stimulation has not been studied. In the current study, a TNF-a induced cell model was established in vitro. Lentivirus encoding LMP-1 (LV-LMP-1) and short heparin LMP-1 (LV-shLMP-1) were constructed to overexpress and knockdown LMP-1 expression in NP cells. LMP-1 mRNA level was regulated in a dose-dependent manner after transfection. LV-LMP-1 increased whereas LV-shLMP-1 decreased collagen II, aggrecan, versican expression, and sGAG production. LV-LMP-1 abolished while LVshLMP-1 aggravated TNF-a mediated down-regulation of the above matrix genes via ERK1/2 activation. Moreover, LV-LMP-1 abrogated TNF-a induced MMP-3 and MMP-13 expression via inhibiting p65 translocation and MMP-3 and MMP-13 promoter activity. These results indicated that LMP-1 had an ECM production maintenance effect under inflammatory stimulation. This effect was via up-regulation of matrix genes expression at least partially through ERK1/2 activation, and down-regulation of MMPs expression through NF-kB inhibition. Keywords: LIM Mineralization Protein-1; intervertebral disc degeneration; matrix metalloproteinase; extracellular matrix; NF-kB Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common degenerative process of the spine as aged. 1 It has been acknowledged that IVDD is one of the most important factors associated with spinal degenerative diseases including disc herniation, spinal canal stenosis, spondylolysthesis, and degenerative scoliosis. 1,2 These diseases cause back pain, radiculopathy or myelopathy, leading to disability, low health related quality of life (HRQOL), and economic losses. Conservative treatment and surgical treatments of spinal degenerative diseases in the late stage is at huge cost and result in suboptimal clinical outcomes in many situation. 1,2 Thus, early intervention to prevent the progression of IVDD, or regenerate the degenerative disc is of great necessity.Nucleus pulposus (NP) extracellular matrix (ECM) consists mainly of loosely assembled collagen type II fibers and proteoglycan (mostly aggrecan and versican), which enable the nucleus pulposus to retain water, thereby cushioning and absorbing the considerable loads placed on the tissue. 3 IVDD is believed to be, in part, the result of imbalance between anabolism and catabolism of ECM. 4 MMPs play a central role in the disc degeneration mainly by cleaving collagens and aggrecan in NP ECM, resulting in the loss of normal disc function. 5-10 Inflammatory cytokines, which are proven to highly express in degenerative IVD, can increase MMPs expression and related ECM degradation. 11,12 As pathophysiological mechanism of IVDD has been better delineated, grow...