Qin Fu

miR-335 suppresses migration and invasion by targeting ROCK1 in osteosarcoma cells

Accumulating evidence has shown that microRNAs are involved in multiple processes in cancer development and progression. Recently, miR-335 has been identified as a tumor-suppressing microRNA in many human cancers. However, the specific function of miR-335 in osteosarcoma is unclear at this point. In this study, we found that the expression of miR-335 in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines was much lower than that in normal control, respectively, and the downregulated miR-335 was significantly associated with lymph-node metastasis. Transfection of miR-335 mimics could significantly inhibit the cell migration and invasion in MG-63 and U2OS osteosarcoma cell lines. Moreover, we also showed that ROCK1 was negatively regulated by miR-335 at the posttranscriptional level, via a specific target site within the 3′UTR by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of ROCK1 was inversely correlated with miR-335 expression in osteosarcoma tissues, and knockdown of ROCK1 by siRNA-inhibited osteosarcoma cells migration and invasion resembling that of miR-335 overexpression. Thus, our findings suggest that miR-335 acts as tumor suppressor by targeting the ROCK1 gene and inhibiting osteosarcoma cells migration and invasion. The findings of this study contribute to current understanding of the functions of miR-335 in osteosarcoma.

Plasma miRNA levels correlate with sensitivity to bone mineral density in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients

Abstract In our study, we detect the levels of three micro-RNAs (miRNAs; miR-21, miR-133a and miR-146a) in the plasma of 120 Chinese postmenopausal women who were divided into three groups (normal, osteopenia and osteoporosis) according to the T-scores. Downregulation of miR-21, as well as upregulation of miR-133a, was validated in the plasma of osteoporosis and osteopenia patients versus the normal group. The difference in expression regarding the miR-146a level in plasma among the three groups was not significant (p > 0.01). The circulating miRNA expression levels and bone mineral density (BMD) were examined during a multiple correlation analysis as a dependent variable after adjusting for age, weight and height. We have demonstrated that specific miRNAs species are significantly changed in the plasma of osteoporosis and osteopenia patients and correlated with the BMD. Our study suggested a potential use of miR-21 and miR-133a as sensitive and plasma biomarkers for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Curcumin alleviates glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis through the regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway

It is known that prolonged glucocorticoid (GC) treatment results in osteoporosis. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of curcumin on the bones of rats with dexamethasone (DXM)-induced osteoporosis. In the present study, rats were administered DXM for 60 days to induce osteoporosis, and they were then treated with curcumin (100 mg/kg/day) for a further 60 days. H&E staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the femurs. Serum osteocalcin levels and collagen-type I fragments (CTX) were examined as bone metabolism markers. The results revealed that treatment with curcumin attenuated DXM-induced bone injury in femurs, increased the serum levels of osteocalcin and decreased the levels of CTX. In addition, in in vitro experiments, primary rat osteoblasts treated with curcumin at 0.5, 1 and 2 µM were exposed to 100 nM DXM. An MTT assay was used to determine the proliferative ability of the cells. Alkaline phosphatase activity, and the mRNA expression levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osterix, osteocalcin, collagen, type 1, alpha 1 (Col1A1) and osteonectin were detected to assess transcription factor-associated osteogenic differentiation. The mRNA and protein expression levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator for nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) were detected to assess cytokine-associated osteoclastogenesis. The results demonstrated that curcumin prevented the DXM-induced inhibition of the proliferative ability of the osteoblasts in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, curcumin upregulated the mRNA expression levels of transcription factors that favor osteoblast differentiation and increased the ratio of OPG to RANKL. Moreover, the effects of curcumin on the Wnt signaling pathway were also investigated. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis demonstrated that the Wnt signaling pathway, which was inhibited by DXM, was re-activated upon treatment with curcumin. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that curcumin restored the intranuclear staining of β-catenin in the DXM-stimulated osteoblasts. Collectively, our data demonstrate that curcumin may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of GC-induced osteoporosis.

MicroRNA-21 promotes osteogenic differentiation by targeting small mothers against decapentaplegic 7

Previous studies have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) may positively or negatively control osteogenic differentiation and mineralization by targeting negative regulators of osteogenesis or important osteogenic factors. miR-21 is important in osteoblast differentiation and Smad7 is a critical regulator of osteogenic differentiation, which inhibits proliferation, differentiation and mineralization in mouse osteoblast cells. However, the association between Smad7 and miR-21 remain to be elucidated. In the present study, miR-21 was found to promote the level of osteogenic differentiation and increase matrix mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, Smad7 was identified as a direct target of miR-21 in the MC3T3-E1 cells. The overexpression of miR-21 affected the protein levels of SMAD7, but not the mRNA levels, which suggested that miR-21 regulates the levels of SMAD7 by inhibiting translation, rather than by promoting mRNA decay. Forced expression of miR-21 promoted osteogenic differentiation and mineralization, while inhibition of miR-21 suppressed these processes. The present study also identified for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the promotion of osteogenic differentiation and mineralization by miR-21, by repressing the expression of Smad7.

Changes of serum cytokines-related Th1/Th2/Th17 concentration in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis

Abstract Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis is now hypothetically considered to be an autoimmune and inflammatory process in which many pro-inflammatory and T cell-derived cytokines play important roles in the loss of bone mass. For instance, interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secreted by Th1 and IL-6, IL-4, and IL-10 secreted by Th2 have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is a characteristic cytokine secreted by Th17 cells of the CD4 + subgroup. Although IL-17 has been shown to enhance bone resorption in ovariectomized mouse model, bone cells and genetic research, human-related studies of IL-17 are few. Methods: According to WHO classification of osteoporosis by the T scores of BMD, the subjects were divided into the postmenopausal osteoporosis group (T scores≤−2.5), the postmenopausal osteopenia group (−2.5 < T scores<−1), and the postmenopausal normal BMD group (T scores≥−1); 30 subjects in each group. Cytometric bead array (CBA) technique was employed for serum determination of the primary indexes including IL-17A, IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-4, and IL-10 concentrations in the 90 volunteers. In the meantime, serum calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were also determined in the patients. One-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) was employed in data analysis to determine whether the testing results of various parameters had significant differences. The bivariate correlation was tested with the Pearson correlation coefficient. When p < 0.05, the difference was considered to have statistical significance. Results: Serum IL-17A concentration was significantly higher in the postmenopausal osteoporosis group than in the postmenopausal osteopenia group and the postmenopausal normal BMD group, but the difference between the postmenopausal osteopenia group and the postmenopausal normal BMD group had no statistical significance. IL-17A was negatively correlated with BMD. To our knowledge, we discovered for the first time that serum concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-4 were significantly lower in the postmenopausal osteoporosis group than in the postmenopausal normal BMD group; IFN-γ and IL-4 were positively correlated with BMD. In addition, we also determined that BMI was negatively correlated with BMD; IL-17A was positively correlated with serum calcium. However, no significant differences in IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-10 were observed among the three groups; these three factors were not correlated with BMD. Conclusions: Our experiments have confirmed the roles of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis and in the promotion of bone resorption. Targeted therapy of IL-17, IFN-γ, and IL-4 may be beneficial in the treatment of patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Our experiments have also confirmed the roles of IFN-γ and IL-4 in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis and in the inhibition of bone resorption.

Tetramethylpyrazine inhibits osteosarcoma cell proliferation via downregulation of NF-κB in vitro and in vivo

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is an effective component of the traditional Chinese medicine Chuanxiong, which has been reported to have beneficial effects in various types of cancer. However, the activity and mechanism of action of TMP in osteosarcoma (OS) have not been elucidated to date. The aim of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of TMP on OS and its underlying mechanism of action. OS cells were treated with various concentrations of TMP for 48 h. BALB/c nude mice with OS were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of TMP at a dose of 100 mg/kg every other day for 28 days. Cell proliferation was evaluated using an MTT assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured using flow cytometry. The protein expression of nuclear and cytosolic nuclear factor‑κB (NF-κB) p65, BCL‑2 and cyclin D1 was measured using western blot analysis. TMP inhibited the proliferation of OS cells (MG-63, SAOS-2 and U2OS) in a dose‑dependent manner. Additionally, TMP significantly induced apoptosis and G0/G1 arrest in MG-63 OS cells (P<0.05). TMP upregulated the protein expression of cytosolic NF-κB p65, while downregulating the protein expression of nuclear NF-κB p65, BCL-2 and cyclin D1. Furthermore, TMP exerted a significant antitumor effect against OS in a xenograft tumor mouse model and exhibited a low toxicity. The present study provided fundamental evidence for the application of TMP in chemotherapy against OS.

Notch inhibits chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells by targeting Twist1

While Notch signaling plays a critical role in the regulation of cartilage formation, its downstream targets are unknown. To address this we performed gain and losses of function experiments and demonstrate that Notch inhibition of chondrogenesis acts via up-regulation of the transcription factor Twist1. Upon Notch activation, murine limb bud mesenchymal progenitor cells in micromass culture displayed an inhibition of chondrogenesis. Twist1 was found to be exclusively expressed in mesenchymal progenitor cells at the onset stage of chondrogenesis during Notch activation. Inhibition of Notch signaling in these cells significantly reduced protein expression of Twist1. Furthermore, the inhibition effect of NICD1 on MPC chondrogenesis was markedly reduced by knocking down of Twist1. Constitutively active Notch signaling significantly enhanced Twist1 promoter activity; whereas mutation studies indicated that a putative NICD/RBPjK binding element in the promoter region is required for the Notch-responsiveness of the Twist1 promoter. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further confirmed that the Notch intracellular domain influences Twist1 by directly binding to the Twist1 promoter. These data provide a novel insight into understanding the molecular mechanisms behind Notch inhibition of the onset of chondrogenesis.

Curcumin alleviates glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis by protecting osteoblasts from apoptosis in vivo and in vitro.

Curcumin, an active component of the rhizomes of Curcumin longa L., possesses broad anti‐inflammation and anti‐cancer properties. Curcumin was previously reported to be capable of protecting ovariectomized rats against osteoporosis. However, the effect of curcumin on glucocorticoid‐induced osteoporosis (GIO) is not yet clear. The present study investigated the effects of curcumin on dexamethasone (Dex)‐induced osteoporosis in vivo and Dex‐induced osteoblast apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. The GIO rat model was induced by subcutaneous injection of Dex for 60 days and verified to be successful as evidenced by the significantly decreased bone mineral density (BMD) determined using dual X‐ray absorptiometry. Subsequently, curcumin administration (100 mg/kg) for 60 days obviously increased BMD and bone‐alkaline phosphatase, decreased carboxy‐terminal collagen cross links, enhanced bone mechanical strength, and improved trabecular microstructure, thereby alleviating Dex‐induced osteoporosis. Mechanically, curcumin remarkably reversed Dex‐induced femoral osteoblast apoptosis in vivo. In cultured primary osteoblasts, pretreatment with curcumin concentration‐dependently decreased the number of Dex‐induced apoptotic osteoblasts by down‐regulating the ratio of Bax/Bcl‐2 as well as the levels of cleaved caspase‐3 and cleaved poly ADP‐ribose polymerase (PARP). Moreover, curcumin pretreatment activated extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signalling in Dex‐induced osteoblasts by up‐regulating the expression level of p‐ERK1/2. Taken together, our study demonstrated that curcumin could ameliorate GIO by protecting osteoblasts from apoptosis, which was possibly related to the activation of the ERK pathway. The results suggest that curcumin may be a promising drug for prevention and treatment of GIO.

Puerarin attenuates glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis of hFOB1.19 cells through the JNK- and Akt-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic pathways

Puerarin is an active component of Pueraria lobata, which is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of osteoporosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the osteoprotective effect of puerarin on glucocorticoid (GC)-induced apoptosis of osteoblasts in vitro. The effects of puerarin on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced cell apoptosis were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and found that the viability of hFOB1.19 cells was significantly increased following exposure to between 10−6 and 10−10 M puerarin, with a maximal anti-apoptotic effect at a concentration of 10−8 M. In addition, compared with the control group, puerarin upregulated the transcription and protein levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 and downregulated B-cell-associated X protein in the hFOB1.19 cells. Puerarin attenuated the DEX-induced release of cytochrome c and cleavage of caspase-3, and treatment with puerarin inhibited the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in the hFOB1.19 cells. Furthermore, the Akt inhibitor, LY294002, partly eliminated the protective effect of puerarin on DEX-induced apoptosis, and puerarin combined with the JNK inhibitor, SP600125, suppressed DEX-induced apoptosis to a lesser extent than in the cells treated with SP600125 alone. These results suggested that the JNK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways mediate the inhibitory effects of puerarin on apoptosis in the hFOB1.19 cells. In conclusion, puerarin prevented DEX-induced apoptosis of hFOB1.19 cells via inhibition of the JNK pathway and activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the cells, dependent on the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These results support puerarin as a promising target in the treatment of GC-induced osteoporosis.

Effect of glucocorticoids on osteoclast function in a mouse model of bone necrosis

Osteonecrosis, also termed aseptic necrosis, is the cellular death of bone components due to interruption of the blood supply. Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is a common non-traumatic cause of osteonecrosis. However, the mechanism by which GCs induce osteonecrosis remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of GCs on osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation and function in a GC-induced osteonecrosis mouse model. BALB/c male mice (n=40; 4-weeks-old) were treated with dexamethasone and asparaginase for 8 weeks. The control group (n=20) was administered normal saline. The results demonstrated that the GC-treated group had a lower mean weight compared with the control group. Morphologically, 16/37 (43%) mice demonstrated significant osteonecrotic lesions in the GC-treated group. However, osteonecrotic lesions were not observed in the mice of the control group. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the GC-treated group had a higher level of osteoprotegerin compared with the control group, without any change in the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand. In addition, tartarate-resistant acid-phosphatase staining demonstrated significantly decreased osteoclasts in the areas of bone destruction in the GCs-treated group. Furthermore, the present study demonstrated that GCs increased expression levels of osterix and osteocalcin, and decreased expression of matrix metallopeptidase-9 to regulate the differentiation and function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The results of the present study suggested that GCs influence bone remolding resulting in decreased osteoclasts formation/differentiation. Therefore, regulating the differentiation and activity of the osteoclasts may be beneficial to the control and treatment of osteonecrosis.