Down-regulation of FTX promotes the differentiation of osteoclasts in osteoporosis through the Notch1 signaling pathway by targeting miR-137

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the commonly seen bone diseases with low bone mineral densities and trauma fractures. Accumulative studies have demonstrated that the occurrence of OP is closely related to osteoclasts differentiation. LncRNA FTX has been demonstrated to inhibit the development of some human cancers. However, its potential functions in human OP remains to be elusive. METHODS: The expressions of FTX and miR-137 in bone and serum samples of patients with or without OP were measured. Bioinformatics analysis, RIP assays and luciferase reporter assays were performed to examine the upstream and downstream transactional factors of miR-137. Functional assays were conducted to check the roles of the Notching1 signaling pathway OP. RESULTS: FTX was suppressed in OP samples and serums, however, miR-137 was greatly elevated. FTX reduced osteoclast-genesis and inhibited osteogenic differentiation by targeting miR-137. This also inhibited the Notch1 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our experiments and results pointed out that lncRNA FTX up-regulated miR-137 in OP through the Notch1 signaling pathway.