Abstract
BACKGROUND: Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) is a pathological condition primarily driven by an impaired balance in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into adipogenic and osteogenic lineages. This study aimed to explore the role of miR-129-5p as a regulator of SONFH progression and associated mechanisms. METHODS: BMSCs were harvested from a rat SONFH model. qPCR was leveraged to assess miR-129-5p levels, while both qPCR and Western immunoblotting were utilized to evaluate HOXC10 expression. CCK8 assay was used to measure the proliferative activity of BMSCs, while their differentiation was analyzed using qPCR and Western blot. RESULTS: SONFH was associated with reduced miR-129-5p levels. Downregulation of miR-129-5p promoted BMSC adipogenesis while inhibiting their osteogenic differentiation and enhancing their adipogenesis differentiation. Mechanistically, miR-129-5p was found to regulate these processes by targeting the expression of the HOXC10 gene. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-129-5p is downregulated in a rat SONFH model. Reduced miR-129-5p levels facilitated adipogenesis and suppressed osteogenesis in BMSCs through its inhibition of HOXC10. These findings offer novel insights into the prevention and treatment of SONFH.