The correlation between estrogen receptor gene polymorphism and osteoporosis in Han Chinese women

Correlation between ESR1 and APOE gene polymorphisms and risk of osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a disease with a high disability rate, and genetic factors are closely related to its pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the possible correlation between ESR1 and APOE gene polymorphisms and the risk of ONFH.

METHODS

In this case-control study, the potential association between three genetic variants (rs2982573 C < T, rs10872678 C < T, and rs9322332 A < C) of the ESR1 gene and two genetic variants (rs7259620 A < G and rs769446 C < T) of the APOE gene with the risk of ONFH was investigated. Correlations between gene polymorphisms and ONFH risk were assessed using logistic regression analysis, with calculation of odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The overall analysis demonstrated that rs9322332 in the ESR1 gene exhibited a correlation with a decreased risk of ONFH under the homozygous (AA vs.CC: OR = 0.69, 95% CI [0.53-0.90], p = 0.006), dominant (CA + AA vs. CC: OR = 0.70, 95% CI [0.54-0.90], p = 0.006), and additive (OR = 0.79, 95% CI [0.66-0.95], p = 0.013) models. The stratification analysis revealed that rs9322332 was linked to a lower risk of ONFH in subgroups characterized by individuals aged over 51 years and non-smokers. Nevertheless, there were no notable correlations found between ESR1 rs2982573 and rs10872678, as well as APOE rs7259620 and rs769446, with the risk of ONFH.

CONCLUSION

ESR1-rs9322332 is closely linked to a decreased risk of ONFH, thereby enhancing our understanding of the relationship between gene polymorphisms and ONFH.

Association between androgen receptor gene alteration and osteoporosis in Chinese Han elderly men

Objective

To explore the role of blood glucose, blood lipids, and androgen receptor gene (CAG)n genotype in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in Chinese Han men and to provide theoretical value for screening people susceptible to osteoporosis.

Methods

Patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College from February 2021 to October 2021 were selected as research subjects to measure bone density by double-energy X-ray, osteoporosis patients as osteoporosis group (40 patients), and non-osteoporosis patients as the control group (40 patients). The STR method detected the repeat times of the androgen receptor gene (CAG)n in the two groups. The repeat times ≤22 were the SS genotype, and >22 were the LL genotype. Meanwhile, the patient's age, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, blood lipids, calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase examined on day one after admission were collected, and the statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0.

Results

The results of the univariate analysis showed that there was no significant difference in age, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and glycosylated hemoglobin between the two groups (P > 0.05). There were significant differences in average blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and genotype frequency (P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed significant differences in total cholesterol and genotype frequency between the two groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Androgen receptor LL genotype and elevated total cholesterol may be the risk factors for osteoporosis in older men of Han nationality.

Investigation of anti-osteoporosis mechanisms of Rehmanniae Radix Preparata based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

Background

Rehmanniae Radix Preparata (RRP) can effectively improve the symptoms of osteoporosis, but its molecular mechanism for treating osteoporosis is still unclear. The objective of this study is to investigate the anti-osteoporosis mechanisms of RRP through network pharmacology.

Methods

The overlapping targets of RRP and osteoporosis were screened out using online platforms. A visual network diagram of PPI was constructed and analyzed by Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. Molecular docking was used to evaluate the binding activity of ligands and receptors, and some key genes were verified through pharmacological experiments.

Results

According to topological analysis results, AKT1, MAPK1, ESR1, and SRC are critical genes for RRP to treat osteoporosis, and they have high binding activity with stigmasterol and sitosterol. The main signal pathways of RRP in the treatment of osteoporosis, including the estrogen signaling pathway, HIF-1 signal pathway, MAPK signal pathway, PI3K-Akt signal pathway. Results of animal experiments showed that RRP could significantly increase the expression levels of Akt1, MAPK1, ESR1, and SRC1 mRNA in bone tissue to increase bone density.

Conclusion

This study explained the coordination between multiple components and multiple targets of RRP in the treatment of osteoporosis and provided new ideas for its clinical application and experimental research.

miRNA-429 suppresses osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells under oxidative stress via targeting SCD-1

Role of microRNA-429 (miRNA-429) in osteogenic differentiation of hADMSCs was elucidated to explore the potential mechanism. Serum level of miRNA-429 in osteoporosis patients and controls was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). After H₂O₂ induction in hADMSCs, cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were determined by cell-counting kit (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in H₂O₂-induced hADMSCs was also detected. The binding condition between miRNA-429 and SCD-1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Relative levels of osteogenesis-related genes influenced by SCD-1 and miRNA-429 were detected by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, regulatory effects of SCD-1 and miRNA-429 on ALP activity and calcification ability of hADMSCs were evaluated. miRNA-429 was significantly upregulated in serum of osteoporosis patients. During the process of osteogenesis differentiation, H₂O₂ induction gradually upregulated miRNA-429 in hADMSCs. Overexpression of miRNA-429 markedly reduced ALP activity. Subsequent dual-luciferase reporter gene assay verified that miRNA-429 could bind to SCD-1 and negatively regulated its protein level in hADMSCs. SCD-1 was obviously downregulated in the osteogenesis differentiation of hADMSCs under oxidative stress. Moreover, silencing of SCD-1 suppressed expression of osteogenesis-related gene, ALP activity and calcification ability. Notably, SCD-1 knockdown partially reversed the regulatory effect of miRNA-429 on the osteogenic differentiation of hADMSCs. miRNA-429 suppresses the osteogenic differentiation of hADMSCs under oxidative stress via downregulating SCD-1.