MicroRNA-29a-3p enhances dental implant osseointegration of hyperlipidemic rats via suppressing dishevelled 2 and frizzled 4.

BACKGROUND

Fine osseointegration is the basis of long-term survival of implant. In our previous study, we observed a strong correlation between hyperlipidemia and compromised osseointegration. MicroRNA-29a-3p (miR-29a-3p) has been discovered to participate in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation. However, the role and the underlying mechanisms of hyperlipidemia and miR-29a-3p in osseointegration still remain obscure.

RESULTS

In peri-implant bone tissues of hyperlipidemia rats, bone mass, mineralization and bone trabecula formation were weakened. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and miR-29a-3p expression were reduced. While in normal rats, implant-bone interfaces were filled with dense new bone and ALP, Runx2 and miR-29a-3p were up-regulated. Overexpressed miR-29a-3p can reverse the adverse effect of hyperlipidemia on osseointegration. Implants were tightly integrated with the surrounding dense new bone tissues, and ALP as well as Runx2 mRNAs were enhanced in miR-29a-3p overexpressed and hyperlipidemia rats, while little peri-implant bone tissue existed, ALP and Runx2 deregulated on miR-29a-3p inhibited rats. Dishevelled 2 (Dvl2) mRNA was declined in peri-implant bone tissue of high-fat (HF) group than normal group, while frizzled 4 (Fzd4) mRNA declined on day 5 and increased from day 10 to day 20 after implantation in hyperlipidemia rats than in normal rats. Next, BMSCs were cultured under HF or normal medium in vitro. In the HF group, ALP activity and mineralization, ALP and Runx2 mRNAs and proteins expression, and miR-29a-3p expression were suppressed, while adipogenesis was increased, as a result, cytoskeletons were sparse and disordered compared to control group. However, when miR-29a-3p was overexpressed in BMSCs, ALP activity, ALP, Runx2, Dvl2 and Fzd4 mRNAs and proteins expressions were up-regulated. As miR-29a-3p was inhibited in BMSCs, the reverse results were obtained. In addition, promoter assay revealed that miR-29a-3p can directly suppress Wnt/β-catenin pathway related Dvl2 and Fzd4 through binding to their 3'-UTR.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-29a-3p facilitated implant osseointegration via targeting Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related Dvl2 and Fzd4. MiR-29a-3p/Dvl2/Fzd4 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for hyperlipidemia osseointegration.