SOX9 and intervertebral disk degenerative disorder: In the IVD, honokiol has been shown to inhibit H2O2-induced elevated ROS and MDA, overexpression of IL-6, COX-2, iNOS, MMP-3, MMP-13, ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 and down-regulation of type II collagen and SOX9 in rat NP cells in vitro via the suppression of the activation of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP)-NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signal pathway and to ameliorate IDD in a puncture-induced IDD rat model [164].