miR-22-3p relieves the osteoarthritis by targeting to inflammasome in vivo and in vitro

Objectives Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease of the joints. It has become one of the main diseases that cause the disability of the elderly in the world, and it has a severe impact on the quality of life of patients. It has been reported that miRNAs are involved the occurrence and development of OA. In the current work, we evaluated the effects of miR-22-3p on osteoarthritis in vivo and in vitro. Methods Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM), Flow cytometry analysis, indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and Western-blot assays were performed to study the effect of miR-22-3p on Osteoarthritis (OA). Results An LPS-induced osteoarthritis cell model was first constructed on C28/I2 cells (in vitro), and the model of mice OA was established by operation (in vivo). The results form RT-qPCR indicated that miR-22-3p expression was reduced by LPS (Lipopolysaccharides) stimulation. Additionally, inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis-related markers were also obviously elevated with LPS treatment. Furthermore, up-regulation of miR-22-3p relieved the osteoarthritis in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, up-regulation of miR-22-3p obviously reduced the production of proinflammatory factors and cell apoptosis induced by LPS. Further research indicated that miR-22-3p may alleviate osteoarthritis by targeting inflammasome. Conclusions In conclusion, the upregulation of miR-22-3p could effectively alleviate osteoarthritis in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that miR-22-3p can be used to treat OA.