The effect of strontium ranelate on titanium particle-induced periprosthetic osteolysis regulated by WNT/β-catenin signaling in vivo and in vitro

Aseptic loosening following periprosthetic osteolysis is the primary complication that limits the lifetime of total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The wear particles trigger a chronic inflammation response in the periprosthetic tissue and turn over the bone balance to bone resorption. The present study aimed to investigate the possible effect and mechanism of strontium ranelate (SR), a clinically safe drug for osteoporosis, on particle-induced periprosthetic osteolysis. Thirty-six female C57BL/6j mice underwent tibial Ti-nail implantation to establish an animal model of aseptic loosening. After 12 weeks, micro-CT results showed that strontium ranelate could inhibit periprosthetic bone resorption. In vitro, Ti particles were used to stimulate RAW264.7 cell line to collect conditioned medium, and co-culture MC3T3-E1 cell line with conditioned medium to establish a cell model of aseptic loosening. The results of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) detection, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry demonstrated that strontium ranelate could regulate the expression of OPG/RANKL, promote differentiation and mineralization, and inhibit apoptosis in osteoblasts. Moreover, we revealed that SR’s exerted its therapeutic effect by down-regulating sclerostin, thereby activating the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway. Therefore, this research suggests that strontium ranelate could be a potential drug for the prevention and treatment of particle-induced aseptic loosening post-TJA.