Muscone regulates microRNA-200c /UBE2W axis to promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem Cells

Background Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in patients with degenerative bone diseases exhibit impaired in proliferation. Muscone, traditionally used in Chinese medicine for bone ailments, has anti-inflammatory properties, but its effect on bone tissue repair is still not clear. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate the osteogenic properties of muscone in BMSC and its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods BMSCs were treated with high, medium, and low doses of muscone, followed by CCK-8 assay, Western blot, and ALP staining to evaluate its effects on cell viability and osteogenic differentiation. The interaction between miR-200c and UBE2W was assessed using a luciferase reporter system. To investigate the role of the miR-200c/UBE2W axis in osteogenic differentiation, BMSCs overexpressing miR-200c alone or in combination with UBE2W were established. Results Muscone enhances BMSC viability and osteogenic differentiation capacity in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, muscone upregulated miR-200c expression while downregulating UBE2W levels. miR-200c directly bound to the 3'UTR of UBE2W mRNA to suppress its transcription. Collectively, these results demonstrate that muscone promoted osteogenic differentiation through activation of the miR-200c/UBE2W axis. While UBE2W knockdown was demonstrated to reduce BMSC apoptosis while accelerating osteogenic differentiation. Conclusions Muscone can elevate the expression level of miR-200c to downregulate UBE2W, thereby exerting an influence on crucial cellular processes including osteogenic differentiation.