Autophagy has also been implicated as a mechanism for the antagonistic effects of SIRT6 expression on senescence in rat nucleus pulposus (NP) cells in a model of invertebral disc degeneration (IDD); SIRT6 expression declines in senescent NP cells, but when overexpressed, it attenuates senescence, with this effect being dependent on activation of autophagy and mTOR inhibition [59]. This evidence concerns the gene SIRT6 and intervertebral disk degenerative disorder.