Effects of Testosterone in Mediating the Relationship Between Daytime Napping and Osteoporosis in European Populations: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

We aimed to explore the causal effect of daytime napping on the risk of osteoporosis and the mediation role of testosterone in explaining this relationship. Summary data for Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS database. Univariable MR(UVMR) analysis and multiple sensitivity analyses were applied to explore the casual relationship between daytime napping and bone mineral density (BMD)/osteoporosis. We also conducted multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis to evaluate the correlation between testosterone-associated single-nucleotide variations and BMD/osteoporosis. Then, mediation analysis was performed to explore whether the association between daytime napping and BMD/osteoporosis was mediated via testosterone. Genetically predicted daytime napping was significantly associated with femoral neck BMD (ß [95% CI]: 0.2573 [0.0487, 0.4660]; P = 0.0156), lumbar spine BMD (ß [95% CI]: 0.2526 [0.0211, 0.4840]; P = 0.0324), and osteoporosis (OR [95% CI]: 0.5063 [0.2578, 0.9942]; P = 0.0481). ß and 95%CIs indicate the standard deviation (SD) unit of BMD increase per category increase in daytime napping. OR and 95%CIs represent the change in the odds ratio of osteoporosis per category increase in daytime napping. We observed a potentially causal effect of more frequent daytime napping on higher BMD and a lower risk of osteoporosis. Daytime napping was causally associated with a higher level of bioavailable testosterone (ß [95% CI]: 0.1397 [0.0619, 0.2175]; P = 0.0004). ß and 95%CIs represent the change in the SD of testosterone per category increase in daytime napping. Furthermore, the causal effects of daytime napping on BMD/osteoporosis were partly mediated by bioavailable testosterone. Daytime napping can efficiently increase BMD and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and testosterone plays a key mediating role in this process.

Recent advances in senescence-associated secretory phenotype and osteoporosis.

The worldwide elderly population is on the rise, and aging is a major osteoporosis risk factor. Senescent cells accumulation can have a detrimental effect the body as we age. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), an essential cellular senescence hallmark, is an important mechanism connecting cellular senescence to osteoporosis. This review describes in detail the characteristics of SASPs and their regulatory agencies, and shed fresh light on how SASPs from different senescent cells contribute to osteoporosis development. Furthermore, we summarized various innovative therapy techniques that target SASPs to lower the burden of osteoporosis in the elderly and discussed the potential challenges of SASPs-based therapy for osteoporosis as a new clinical trial.

Cell Reprogramming Strategies for Treating Osteoarthritis and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Osteoarthritis (OA) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) are the most common degenerative bone and joint diseases, posing a major threat to patients' physical and mental health due to the occurrence of chronic pain and disability. Within this context, the absence of efficacious therapies has led to a growing interest in regenerative medicine. In particular, as a method that can erase the memory of differentiation and re-endow cells with pluripotency, cell reprogramming technologies have ushered in a new era of personalized therapy, which not only show great potential for the treatment of degenerative osteoarthropathies but also promise to achieve tissue regenerative and repair. However, compared to other areas of research, reprogramming technologies to treat OA and IVDD are still in the preliminary stages and require further investigation. This paper briefly introduces the characteristics of cell reprogramming; summarizes the pathological mechanisms of reprogramming to improves energy metabolism, aging, inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune imbalance in OA and IVDD under the background of microenvironment and immunity; highlights the significant advantages of reprogramming-derived cells compared to embryonic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells, based on these advances, providing important strategies for its development and clinical application in OA and IVDD.

Risk Factors for New Adjacent and Remote Vertebral Fracture After Percutaneous Vertebroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the risk factors of new adjacent vertebral fractures (AVF) and remote vertebral fractures (RVF) after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). METHODS: Patients who underwent additional PVP for new OVCFs were enrolled. In addition, we set a 1:1 age-, sex-, surgical segment-, and surgical date-matched control group, in which patients underwent PVP without new OVCFs. Data on body mass index, occurrence time of second PVP, vertebral computed tomography (CT) Hounsfield Unit (HU) at the fracture adjacent segment, and RVF segment were collected. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients who underwent additional PVP for new OVCFs at our hospital were included. AVF occurred significantly earlier than RVF (13.5 ± 14.1 vs. 30.4 ± 20.1 months, P = 0.007). Compared to the control group, the AVF segment CT HU was significantly lower in patients with AVF (28.7 ± 16.7 vs. 61.3 ± 14.7, P = 0.000), while there was no significant difference between patients with RVF and control group including both adjacent and RVF segment CT HU. Receiver operating characteristic curves identified a cutoff value of 43 for using adjacent segment CT HU to differentiate patients with AVF from controls, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 88.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the risk factors for AVF and RVF after PVP surgery were different. The occurrence of AVF was earlier and associated with low adjacent segment CT HU values, whereas the preoperative CT HU in both adjacent and RVF segments was not found to be associated with RVF.

New Progress in Basic Research of Macrophages in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Low Back Pain.

Low back pain (LBP) is quite common in clinical practice, which can lead to long-term bed rest or even disability. It is a worldwide health problem remains to be solved. LBP can be induced or exacerbated by abnormal structure and function of spinal tissue such as intervertebral disc (IVD), dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and muscle; IVD degeneration (IVDD) is considered as the most important among all the pathogenic factors. Inflammation, immune response, mechanical load, and hypoxia etc., can induce LBP by affecting the spinal tissue, among which inflammation and immune response are the key link. Inflammation and immune response play a double-edged sword role in LBP. As the main phagocytic cells in the body, macrophages are closely related to body homeostasis and various diseases. Recent studies have shown that macrophages are the only inflammatory cells that can penetrate the closed nucleus pulposus, expressed in various structures of the IVD, and the number is positively correlated with the degree of IVDD. Moreover, macrophages play a phagocytosis role or regulate the metabolism of DRG and muscle tissues through neuro-immune mechanism, while the imbalance of macrophages polarization will lead to more inflammatory factors to chemotaxis and aggregation, forming an "inflammatory waterfall" effect similar to "positive feedback," which greatly aggravates LBP. Regulation of macrophages migration and polarization, inhibition of inflammation and continuous activation of immune response by molecular biological technology can markedly improve the inflammatory microenvironment, and thus effectively prevent and treat LBP. Studies on macrophages and LBP were mainly focused in the last 3-5 years, attracting more and more scholars' attention. This paper summarizes the new research progress of macrophages in the pathogenesis and treatment of LBP, aiming to provide an important clinical prevention and treatment strategy for LBP.

Novel Insights into the Stemness and Immune Privilege of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Wharton Jelly by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

BACKGROUND Fundamental and clinical interest in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has risen dramatically over the past 3 decades. The immunomodulatory and differentiation abilities are the main mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. However, increasing evidence casts doubt on the stemness and immunogenicity of MSCs. MATERIAL AND METHODS We conducted a high-throughput 10x RNA sequencing and Smart-seq2 scRNA-seq analysis to reveal gene expression of Wharton jelly MSCs (WJ-MSCs) at a single-cell level. Multipotent differentiation, subpopulations, marker genes, human leucocyte antigen (HLA) gene expression, and cell cluster trajectory analysis were evaluated. RESULTS The WJ-MSCs had considerable heterogeneity between cells in terms of gene expression. They highly, partially, and hardly expressed genes related to mesodermal differentiation, endodermal differentiation, and ectodermal differentiation, respectively. Some cells seem to be bipotent or unipotent stem cells. Further, Monocle and cell cluster trajectory analysis demonstrated that 1 of the 3 divided clusters performed as stem cells, accounting for 12.6% of the population. The marker genes for a stem cell cluster were CRIM1, GLS, PLOD2, NEXN, ACTR2, FN1, MBNL1, LMOD1, COL3A1, NCL, SEC62, EPRS, COL5A2, COL8A1, and VCAN. In addition, the MSCs also highly, partially, and hardly expressed HLA-I antigen genes, HLA-II genes, and the HLA-G gene, respectively, indicating that MSCs probably have immunogenicity. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis of the 3 clusters demonstrated that they were mainly connected with viral infectious diseases, cancer, and endocrine and metabolic disorders. The most expressed transcription factors were zf-C2H2, HMG/HMGY, and Homeobox. CONCLUSIONS We found that only a subpopulation of WJ-MSCs are real stem cells and WJ-MSCs probably do not have immune privilege.

A patient with Turner syndrome received the percutaneous vertebroplasty seven times: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Turner syndrome (TS) is characterized as the complete or partial absence of one X chromosome and is an extremely rare disease affecting approximately 1:2500 live female births. Though the prevalence of osteoporosis among women with TS is estimated to be around 55-64% and they suffer more frequently from fractures than normal, few reports concerning TS patients with osteoporosis are able to be seen due to tiny number of patients. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report a rare case of TS with osteoporosis, who has undergone percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) seven times because of several vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). G-banded karyotype analysis was performed and the result was 45,X[43]/47,XXX[17], indicating that the patient was a mosaicism of TS karyotype and Trisomy X syndrome karyotype. TS is the underlying cause of low level of estrogen for this patient. The interaction of aging, estrogen deficiency and intestinal dysbacteriosis leads to her severe osteoporosis and multi-segmental VCFs. The aim of this report is to provide recommendations regarding the management of TS patients with osteoporosis by reviewing the clinical presentation of TS, the influence of estrogen deficiency in osteoporosis, etc. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis and hormone replacement treatment are essential for TS patients to prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fractures. This is a rare case report describing TS patient with severe osteoporosis and VCFs.

Sprifermin: Effects on Cartilage Homeostasis and Therapeutic Prospects in Cartilage-Related Diseases.

When suffering from osteoarthritis (OA), articular cartilage homeostasis is out of balance and the living quality declines. The treatment of knee OA has always been an unsolved problem in the world. At present, symptomatic treatment is mainly adopted for OA. Drug therapy is mainly used to relieve pain symptoms, but often accompanied with adverse reactions; surgical treatment involves the problem of poor integration between the repaired or transplanted tissues and the natural cartilage, leading to the failure of repair. Biotherapy which aims to promote cartilage in situ regeneration and to restore endochondral homeostasis is expected to be an effective method for the prevention and treatment of OA. Disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) are intended for targeted treatment of OA. The DMOADs prevent excessive destruction of articular cartilage through anti-catabolism and stimulate tissue regeneration via excitoanabolic effects. Sprifermin (recombinant human FGF18, rhFGF18) is an effective DMOAD, which can not only promote the proliferation of articular chondrocyte and the synthesis of extracellular matrix, increase the thickness of cartilage in a dose-dependent manner, but also inhibit the activity of proteolytic enzymes and remarkedly slow down the degeneration of cartilage. This paper reviews the unique advantages of Sprifermin in repairing cartilage injury and improving cartilage homeostasis, aiming to provide an important strategy for the effective prevention and treatment of cartilage injury-related diseases.

Curcumin Modulates the Crosstalk Between Macrophages and Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Ameliorate Osteogenesis.

Bone healing is thought to be influenced by the cross-talk between bone forming and immune cells. In particular, macrophages play a crucial role in the regulation of osteogenesis. Curcumin, the major bioactive polyphenolic ingredient of turmeric, has been shown to regulate inflammatory response and osteogenic activities. However, whether curcumin could regulate macrophage polarization and subsequently influence osteogenesis remain to be elucidated. In this study, the potential immunomodulatory capability of curcumin on inflammatory response and phenotype switch of macrophages and the subsequent impact on osteogenic differentiation of MSCs are investigated. We demonstrated that curcumin exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect by polarizing the macrophages toward anti-inflammatory phenotype, with increased expression of IL-4, IL-10, and CD206, and decreased expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, CCR7, and iNOS. In addition, curcumin could improve the osteo-immune microenvironment via promoting osteogenesis-related regenerative cytokine BMP-2 and TGF-ß production. Moreover, the co-cultured test of macrophages and BMSCs showed that curcumin-modulated macrophages conditioned medium could promote osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs with increased gene (ALP, Runx-2, OCN, and OPN) and protein (Runx-2 and OCN) expression levels, enhanced ALP activity, and obvious formation of mineralized nodules. Taken together, with the interaction between curcumin-conditioned macrophage and curcumin-stimulated BMSCs, curcumin could remarkably enhance the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in LPS-activated inflammatory macrophage-BMSCs coculture system.

Hsa-miR-557 Inhibits Osteosarcoma Growth Through Targeting KRAS.

Objective: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignancy in the skeletal system; studies showed an important role of miRNAs in tumorigenesis, indicating miRNAs as possible therapeutic molecules. This study found abnormal hsa-miR-557 expression levels in osteosarcoma and tried to explore the potential function and the mechanism. Methods: Differential expression genes of osteosarcoma were analyzed using GSE28423 from the GEO database. Survival analysis of miRNAs was conducted with data obtained from the TARGET-OS database. STRING and miRDIP were used to predict target genes of hsa-miR-557; KRAS was then verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Expression of genes was detected by qPCR, and levels of proteins were detected by Western blot. The proliferation ability of cells was detected by CCK-8 and cell cycle analysis. Tumor formation assay in nude mice was used to detect the influence of osteosarcoma by hsa-miR-557 in vivo. Results: Analysis from the GEO and TARGET databases found 12 miRNAs that are significantly related to the osteosarcoma prognosis, 7 downregulated (hsa-miR-140-3p, hsa-miR-564, hsa-miR-765, hsa-miR-1224-5p, hsa-miR-95, hsa-miR-940, and hsa-miR-557) and 5 upregulated (hsa-miR-362-3p, hsa-miR-149, hsa-miR-96, hsa-miR-744, and hsa-miR-769-5p). CCK-8 analysis and cell cycle analysis found that hsa-miR-557 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells. The tumor formation assay in nude mice showed that tumor sizes and weights were inhibited by hsa-miR-557 transfection. Further studies also proved that hsa-miR-557 could target the 3'UTR of KRAS and modulate phosphorylation of downstream proteins. Conclusion: This study showed that hsa-miR-557 could inhibit osteosarcoma growth both in vivo and in vitro, by modulating KRAS expression.

Short-term Efficacy of the Percutaneous Vertebroplasty Using a Curved Versus Straight Vertebroplasty Needle in Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of the curved puncture approach with 2 conventional approaches in percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for the treatment of single-level osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Ninety-six patients with a single-level thoracolumbar vertebral fracture were surgically treated in the authors' department from February 2016 to February 2018. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups, including 25 patients who had PVP punctured with a curved vertebroplasty needle (group C), 40 patients with unipedicular PVP with a straight vertebroplasty needle (group U), and 31 patients with bipedicular PVP with a straight vertebroplasty needle (group B). The short-term efficacies of PVP using different vertebroplasty needles were compared. Significant differences were tested preoperatively and postoperatively in vertebral body height variation, visual analog scale score, and Oswestry Disability Index in each of the 3 groups (P<.05). There was no significant difference among the groups in terms of Cobb angle correction and bone cement leakage. Group C and group U were superior to group B in terms of operative time and injected cement volume (P<.05). Twenty-four (96.0%) patients in group C and 29 (93.5%) patients in group B had centered cement distribution without significant differences (P>.05), which was superior to group U (P<.05). Curved puncture PVP achieved a satisfactory clinical outcome for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, with the advantages of less operative time, less injected cement volume, and more reasonable cement distribution for stabilization of the affected vertebrae. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(1):e131-e138.].

Synergistic Utilization of Necrostatin-1 and Z-VAD-FMK Efficiently Promotes the Survival of Compression-Induced Nucleus Pulposus Cells via Alleviating Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

We recently reported that necroptosis contributed to compression-induced nucleus pulposus (NP) cells death. In the current study, we investigated the regulative effect of necroptosis inhibitor Necrostatin-1 on NP cells apoptosis and autophagy. Necrostatin-1, autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine and apoptosis inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK were employed, and NP cells were exposed to 1.0 MPa compression for 0, 24 and 36 h. Necroptosis-associated molecules were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR. Autophagy and apoptosis levels were evaluated by Western blot and quantified by flow cytometry after monodansylcadaverine and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining, respectively. The cell viability and cell death were also examined. Furthermore, we measured mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and indices of oxidative stress to assess mitochondrial dysfunction. The results established that Necrostatin-1 blocked NP cells autophagy, and 3-Methyladenine had little influence on NP cells necroptosis. The Necrostatin-1+3-Methyladenine treatment exerted almost the same role as Necrostatin-1 in reducing NP cells death. Necrostatin-1 restrained NP cells apoptosis, while Z-VAD-FMK enhanced NP cells necroptosis. The Necrostatin-1+Z-VAD-FMK treatment provided more prominent role in blocking NP cells death compared with Necrostatin-1, consistent with increased MMP, reduced opening of MPTP and oxidative stress. In summary, the synergistic utilization of Necrostatin-1 and Z-VAD-FMK is a very worthwhile solution in preventing compression-mediated NP cells death, which might be largely attributed to restored mitochondrial function.

Bromosulfophthalein suppresses inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

OBJECTIVE: It has been reported that glutathione (GSH), the most abundant cellular antioxidant, can inhibit production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by activated macrophages. Bromosulfophthalein (BSP) has been recognized as an inhibitor of the efflux of reduced GSH from cells, leading to an increase in the intracellular GSH level. In this study, we evaluated, for the first time, whether BSP possessed anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RAW 264.7 cells were treated with BSP and the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, GSH, and nitrite were assessed. Gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was analyzed via quantitative RT-PCR. We also examined various inflammatory signaling pathways including Akt/forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and Fas protein by Western blot and flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: Our study demonstrated that BSP induced an increase in intracellular GSH level in LPS-stimulated macrophages. BSP inhibited production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines. BSP increased phosphorylation of Akt and nuclear exclusion of FoxO1 and suppressed TLR4 expression. Additionally, BSP decreased MAPKs activation and Fas expression. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Taken together, these data suggest that BSP can attenuate inflammation through multiple signaling pathways. These findings highlight the potential of BSP as a new anti-inflammatory agent.

A Review of Gene Therapy Delivery Systems for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral Disc (IVD) degeneration is a major public health concern, and gene therapy seems a promising approach to delay or even reverse IVD degeneration. However, the delivery system used to transfer exogenous genes into intervertebral disc cells remains a challenge. METHODS: The MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for English-language articles related to gene therapy for IVD degeneration articles from 1999 to May 2019. The keywords included "gene therapy" AND "intervertebral disc". The history of the development of different delivery systems was analysed, and the latest developments in viral and non-viral vectors for IVD degeneration treatment were reviewed. RESULTS: Gene therapy delivery systems for IVD degeneration are divided into two broad categories: viral and non-viral vectors. The most commonly used viral vectors are adenovirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), and lentivirus. Enthusiasm for the use of adenovirus vectors has gradually declined and has been replaced by a preference for lentivirus and AAV vectors. New technologies, such as RNAi and CRISPR, have further enhanced the advantage of viral vectors. Liposomes are the classic non-viral vector, and their successors, polyplex micelles and exosomes, have more potential for use in gene therapy for IVD degeneration. CONCLUSION: Lentivirus and AAV are the conventional viral vectors used in gene therapy for IVD degeneration, and the new technologies RNAi and CRISPR have further enhanced their advantages. Nonviral vectors, such as polyplex micelles and exosomes, are promising gene therapy vectors for IVD degeneration.

Antioxidative nanofullerol inhibits macrophage activation and development of osteoarthritis in rats.

Background: There is emerging evidence which suggests that cellular ROS including nitric oxide (NO) are important mediators for inflammation and osteoarthritis (OA). Water-soluble polyhydroxylated fullerene C60 (fullerol) nanoparticle has been demonstrated to have an outstanding ability to scavenge ROS. Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the effects of fullerol on inflammation and OA by in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods: For in vitro experiments, primary mouse peritoneal macrophages and a macrophage cell line RAW264.7 were stimulated to inflammatory phenotypes by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence of fullerol. For the animal study, OA model was created by intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate into the knee joints of rats and fullerol was intravenously injected immediately after OA induction. Results: NO production and pro-inflammatory gene expression induced by LPS was significantly diminished by fullerol in both macrophage cell types. Meanwhile, fullerol could remarkably reduce phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and protein level of transcription factors nuclear factor-kappaB and forkhead box transcription factor 1 within the nucleus. The animal study delineated that systematic administration of fullerol prevented OA, inhibiting inflammation of synovial membranes and the damage toward the cartilage chondrocytes in the OA joints. Conclusion: Antioxidative fullerol may have a potential therapeutic application for OA.

Long noncoding RNA APTR contributes to osteosarcoma progression through repression of miR-132-3p and upregulation of yes-associated protein 1.

A growing amount of evidence has shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in osteosarcoma (OS). However, little knowledge is available about the functional roles and molecular mechanisms of lncRNA Alu-mediated p21 transcriptional regulator (APTR) in OS. Herein, APTR expression was demonstrated to be significantly upregulated in OS tumor tissues and four OS cell lines (including MG63, 143B, Saos-2, and HOS) compared with the adjacent tissues and human osteoblast cell line hFOB1.19, respectively. We confirmed miR-132-3p to be a target for APTR, and its expression was demonstrated to be inhibited by APTR. In functional terms, knockdown of APTR and overexpression of miR-132-3p both, remarkably repressed human OS cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and induced apoptosis. Also, Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) was determined as an inhibitory target of miR-132-3p. Moreover, our findings demonstrated that the repression of YAP1 protein expression and the suppression of Ki-67, MMP9, and Bcl2 expression induced by APTR knockdown required increased miR-132-3p. Thus, APTR contributed to OS progression through repression of miR-132-3p and upregulation of YAP1 expression. Therefore, we have uncovered a novel regulatory mechanism by which the APTR/miR-132-3p/YAP1 axis can regulate OS progression.

MicroRNA-192 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells and promotes apoptosis by targeting matrix metalloproteinase-11.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression during stem cell growth, proliferation and differentiation. miRNAs are also involved in the development and progression of a number of cancer types, including osteosarcoma (OS). miR-192 is significantly downregulated in various tumors, including lung, bladder and rectal cancer. miR-192 expression is associated with the migration and invasion of OS cells. However, the expression of miR-192 and its effects on the development of OS have not been reported. In the present study, the involvement of miR-192 and its molecular mechanisms in the development of OS was investigated. The results indicate that miR-192 expression was significantly downregulated in OS tissues compared with non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). Next, a miR-192 agomir was transfected into the OS cell line MG-63 to upregulate miR-192. The effects of miR-192 overexpression were then investigated by examining cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-11 belongs to a family of nine or more highly homologous Zn2+-endopeptidases. It was demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression of MMP-11 were upregulated in OS tissues compared with non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). MMP-11 was predicted by TargetScan and miRanda as a miR-192 target, which was confirmed by western blotting and dual-luciferase assays. Finally, it was demonstrated that the overexpression of miR-192 was able to downregulate MMP-11 expression and reduce proliferation, migration and invasion, and promote apoptosis in OS cells. Together, these data indicate that miR-192 may be a tumor suppressor that inhibits the progression and invasion of OS by targeting MMP-11. Therefore, miR-192 may be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of OS.

Long non-coding RNA TCONS_00041960 enhances osteogenesis and inhibits adipogenesis of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell by targeting miR-204-5p and miR-125a-3p.

A growing number of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be involved in diverse biological processes such as cell cycle regulation, embryonic development, and cell differentiation. However, limited knowledge is available concerning the underlying mechanisms of lncRNA functions. In this study, we found down-regulation of TCONS_00041960 during adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of glucocorticoid-treated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Furthermore, up-regulation of TCONS_00041960 promoted expression of osteogenic genes Runx2, osterix, and osteocalcin, and anti-adipogenic gene glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ). Conversely, expression of adipocyte-specific markers was decreased in the presence of over-expressed TCONS_00041960. Mechanistically, we determined that TCONS_00041960 as a competing endogenous RNA interacted with miR-204-5p and miR-125a-3p to regulate Runx2 and GILZ, respectively. Overall, we identified a new TCONS_00041960-miR-204-5p/miR-125a-3p-Runx2/GILZ axis involved in regulation of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of glucocorticoid-treated BMSCs.

Antioxidative fullerol promotes osteogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells.

Antioxidants were implicated as potential reagents to enhance osteogenesis, and nano-fullerenes have been demonstrated to have a great antioxidative capacity by both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In this study, we assessed the impact of a polyhydroxylated fullerene, fullerol, on the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Fullerol was not toxic against human ADSCs at concentrations up to 10 µM. At a concentration of 1 µM, fullerol reduced cellular reactive oxygen species after a 5-day incubation either in the presence or in the absence of osteogenic media. Pretreatment of fullerol for 7 days increased the osteogenic potential of human ADSCs. Furthermore, when incubated together with osteogenic medium, fullerol promoted osteogenic differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, fullerol proved to promote expression of FoxO1, a major functional isoform of forkhead box O transcription factors that defend against reactive oxygen species in bone. Although further clarification of related mechanisms is required, the findings may help further development of a novel approach for bone repair, using combined treatment of nano-fullerol with ADSCs.

A more consistent intraluminal rhesus monkey model of ischemic stroke.

Endovascular surgery is advantageous in experimentally induced ischemic stroke because it causes fewer cranial traumatic lesions than invasive surgery and can closely mimic the pathophysiology in stroke patients. However, the outcomes are highly variable, which limits the accuracy of evaluations of ischemic stroke studies. In this study, eight healthy adult rhesus monkeys were randomized into two groups with four monkeys in each group: middle cerebral artery occlusion at origin segment (M1) and middle cerebral artery occlusion at M2 segment. The blood flow in the middle cerebral artery was blocked completely for 2 hours using the endovascular microcoil placement technique (1 mm × 10 cm) (undetachable), to establish a model of cerebral ischemia. The microcoil was withdrawn and the middle cerebral artery blood flow was restored. A reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion model was identified by hematoxylin-eosin staining, digital subtraction angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and neurological evaluation. The results showed that the middle cerebral artery occlusion model was successfully established in eight adult healthy rhesus monkeys, and ischemic lesions were apparent in the brain tissue of rhesus monkeys at 24 hours after occlusion. The rhesus monkeys had symptoms of neurological deficits. Compared with the M1 occlusion group, the M2 occlusion group had lower infarction volume and higher neurological scores. These experimental findings indicate that reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion can be produced with the endovascular microcoil technique in rhesus monkeys. The M2 occluded model had less infarction and less neurological impairment, which offers the potential for application in the field of brain injury research.