MiR-214-3p inhibits β-catenin signaling pathway leading to delayed fracture healing

J.-W. Teng, P.-F. Ji, Z.-G. Zhao

Department of Microscopic Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Chinese Medicine, Shandong, China. shoushi43064@163.com

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• Orthopedics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-214-3p on the fracture healing process of mice and its mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 90 mice were selected and randomly divided into three groups to establish the right tibial fracture model. AgomiR-214-3p or agomiR negative control (agomiR-NC), or the same volume of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), was injected locally at 0 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d after operation, respectively. At the end of the experiment, the imageological observation, histological observation and the detection of callus osteocalcin level were conducted for mice in each group to evaluate the fracture healing. At the same time, Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of β-catenin at different time points in each group.

RESULTS: Imageological and histological observations showed that the fracture lines of mice in the PBS injection group and the agomiR-NC injection group were found to be healed at 28 d after fractures, while fuzzy fracture lines could be seen in mice with fewer calluses in the agomiR-214-3p injection group, and the expression level of osteocalcin at each time point in the agomiR-214-3p injection group was decreased compared with that in the control group. In addition, RT-PCR and Western blotting results revealed that the expression level of the miR-214-3p target gene, β-catenin, was decreased at each time point in the agomiR-214-3p group compared with that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: MiR-214-3p delays the fracture healing by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

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