MiR-601-induced BMSCs senescence accelerates steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head progression by targeting SIRT1

Abstract Background : The imbalance between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is not only the primary pathological feature but also a major contributor to the pathogenesis of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH). Cellular senescence is one of the main causes of imbalanced BMSCs differentiation. The purpose of this study was to reveal whether cellular senescence could participate in the progression of SONFH and the related mechanisms. Methods : The rat SONFH model was constructed, and rat BMSCs were extracted. Aging-related indicators were detected by SA-β-Gal staining, qRT-PCR and Western Blot experiments. Using H 2 O 2 to construct a senescent cell model, and overexpressing and knocking down miR-601 and SIRT1 in hBMSCs, the effect on BMSCs differentiation was explored by qRT-PCR, Western Blot experiment, oil red O staining, alizarin red staining, and luciferase reporter gene experiment. A rat SONFH model was established to test the effects of miR-601 and metformin in vivo. Results :The current study showed that glucocorticoids (GCs)-induced BMSCs senescence, which caused imbalanced osteogenesis and adipogenesis of BMSCs, was responsible for the SONFH progression. Further, elevated miR-601 caused by GCs was demonstrated to contribute to BMSC senescence through targeting SIRT1. In addition, the anti-aging drug metformin was shown to be able to alleviate GCs-induced BMSCs senescence and SONFH progression. Conclusions: Considering the role of BMSCs aging in the progression of SONFH, this provides a new idea for the prevention and treatment of SONFH.