Puerarin promotes the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells via microRNA‑106b by targeting receptor activator of nuclear factor‑κB ligand

Abstract

Puerarin, an isoflavone-C-glucoside extracted from the root of Pueraria Labata (Willd.) Ohwi, is one of the most important crude herbs used in Chinese medicine for various medicinal purposes. Accumulating evidence has indicated that puerarin suppresses bone resorption and promotes bone formation. However, the molecular mechanism involved in puerarin-associated bone formation is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of puerarin-induced osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. The study showed that puerarin treatment differentially affected cell proliferation in a time-dependent manner. Notably, at a concentration of 20 µM, puerarin significantly promoted cell proliferation in comparison with the control (P<0.01). Furthermore, puerarin promoted MC3T3-E1 cell differentiation at an appropriate concentration. In addition, miR-106b was significantly upregulated in MC3T3-E1 cells following treatment with 20 µM puerarin (P<0.01), and a known target for miR-106b, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) was demonstrated using the luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-106b significantly reversed the promotion of cell differentiation induced by puerarin in MC3T3-E1 cells (P<0.01). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that puerarin exerts its role in MC3T3-E1 osteogenesis through miR-106b by targeting RANKL. The findings suggest that puerarin may be considered a promising anti-osteoporotic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Puerarin promotes the viability and differentiation of MC3T3‑E1 cells by enhancing LC3B‑mediated autophagy through downregulation of miR‑204

“…Puerarin, an isoflavone extracted from the Chinese medicine pueraria, exhibits protective functions on the cardiovascular system, nervous system, osteoporosis, liver injury, and inflammation in vivo and in vitro (4). Studies have shown that puerarin can promote the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts in vitro (5,6). In a recent report, puerarin was found to improve bone loss in estrogen-deficient rats, display a superior anti-osteoporosis effect, and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women (7).…”

Botanicals in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

“…It also alleviated osteopenia and prevented the deterioration of trabecular structure in mCT [ 99 ]. Other authors reported that puerarin inhibited RANKL-dependent osteoclastogenesis [ 100 ], induced mineral nodulus formation in osteoblasts through the activation of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway [ 101 ] and promotes osteoblast differentiation [ 102 ].…”

Notoginsenoside R1 promotes MC3T3-E1 differentiation by up-regulating miR-23a via MAPK and JAK1/STAT3 pathways

“…To date, a variety of treatment therapies have emerged, for instance, surgical intervention, mechanical forces, pharmacotherapy, cell therapy and molecular biology therapy [2][3][4][5], as well as a combination of several methods. Bioactive agents in combination with targeted therapeutics have drawn researchers' attention, especially through modulating microRNAs (miRs) and signalling pathways for accelerating osteoblastogenesis [6,7]. Given that preosteoblasts are bone-forming cells, it provides us a new insight into accelerating fracture healing by stimulating cells differentiation for bone formation.…”