Icariin upregulates methyltransferase-like 14-mediated prolyl 4-hydroxylase beta subunit m6A modification to promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase beta subunit (P4HB) plays a vital role in bone formation. This study intends to clarify the role of P4HB in the therapeutic effect of Icariin (ICA) on osteoporosis. Herein, in vivo and in vitro models were constructed by performing ovariectomy (OVX) in rats and inducing osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), respectively. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and micro-computed tomography analysis were performed to evaluate osteoporosis in OVX rats. Alizarin Red staining, alkaline phosphatase staining, and the ALP activity test were employed to assess osteogenesis. m6A dot blotting and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation were used to determine m6A modification. We found that P4HB was downregulated in bone tissues of patients with osteoporosis and OVX rats. P4HB facilitated osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. What's more, ICA upregulated P4HB expression, promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and alleviated osteoporosis in OVX rats, which were reversed by knocking down P4HB. ICA enhanced the stability and m6A modification of P4HB. METTL14 mediated m6A modification of P4HB mRNA. In addition, METTL14 knockdown overturned the promotive effects of ICA on P4HB m6A level and BMSC osteogenic differentiation. To sum up, ICA elevated the METTL14-mediated m6A modification of P4HB to facilitate BMSC osteogenic differentiation.