Overexpression of miR-7-5p Promoted Fracture Healing Through Inhibiting LRP4 and Activating Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway.

Abstract

Background. The bone healing after fracture had a great impact on the patients' life quality. However, how miR-7-5p participated in fracture healing has not been investigated. Methods. For in vitro studies, the pre-osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1 was obtained. The male C57BL/6 mice were purchased for in vivo experiments, and the fracture model was constructed. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK8 assay, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured by commercial kit. Histological status was evaluated using H&E and TRAP staining. The RNA and protein levels were detected via RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. Results. Overexpression of miR-7-5p increased cell viability and ALP activity in vitro. Moreover, in vivo studies consistently indicated that transfection of miR-7-5p improved the histological status and increased the proportion of TRAP-positive cells. Overexpression of miR-7-5p suppressed LRP4 expression while upregulated Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Conclusion. MiR-7-5p decreased LRP4 level and further activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, facilitating the process of fracture healing.