Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the role of LINC00341 in delayed fracture healing (DFH) and its regulatory mechanism through miR-133a-3p. METHODS: This study analyzed serum samples from 131 patients with tibial fractures, including 67 patients with normal fracture healing (NFH) and 64 with DFH. The levels of LINC00341, miR-133a-3p and osteogenic marker-related mRNAs were verified by RT-qPCR assays. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were performed to confirm the binding between LINC00341 and miR-133a-3p. RESULTS: The expression of LINC00341 was found to be downregulated in DFH patients. This downregulation of LINC00341 inhibited the mRNA expression of osteogenic markers, reduced osteoblast viability, and increased apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells. Additionally, miR-133a-3p was identified as a target miRNA of LINC00341. Reducing miR-133a-3p effectively eliminated the negative impact of LINC00341 downregulation on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. CONCLUSION: LINC00341 enhances fracture healing by targeting miR-133a-3p, indicating its potential as a potential target for clinical diagnosis and therapy.