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  4. Vol 4, Issue 1, 2026

Experimental Study on the Improvement of Osteoarthritis Cartilage Degeneration by miR129-3p through Regulating Autophagy

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DOI: 10.23977/medbm.2026.040103 | Downloads: 3 | Views: 228

Author(s)

Wei Huacheng 1, Li Xinwu 2

Affiliation(s)

1 Department of Orthopedics and Joint Surgery, Nanning First People's Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
2 Surgery Department of Spinal Diseases, Baise People's Hospital, Baise City, Guangxi, China

Corresponding Author

Li Xinwu

ABSTRACT

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration and persistent inflammatory responses. This study aimed to investigate the expression of miR129-3p in OA and explore its regulatory role in autophagy and inflammation, thereby clarifying the molecular mechanism by which miR129-3p improves cartilage degeneration through autophagy regulation. Articular cartilage tissues from patients with OA and normal control cartilage tissues were collected, and the expression levels of miR129-3p, inflammatory factors (IL-6 and MMP-13), and autophagy-related proteins (LC3B and Beclin-1) were detected using molecular biology techniques. An in vitro OA chondrocyte model was established by IL-1β stimulation, followed by transfection with mimic-miR129-3p and inhibitor-miR129-3p to evaluate the effects of miR129-3p on autophagy and inflammatory responses. The results showed that miR129-3p expression was significantly decreased in OA cartilage tissues compared with normal tissues, while IL-6 and MMP-13 levels were significantly increased, and the expression of LC3B and Beclin-1 was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). In the cell experiments, upregulation of miR129-3p significantly increased the expression of LC3B and Beclin-1 and reduced the levels of IL-6 and MMP-13, whereas inhibition of miR129-3p produced the opposite effects. These findings indicate that miR129-3p is downregulated in OA and that its decreased expression is associated with reduced autophagy and enhanced inflammatory responses. Upregulation of miR129-3p can activate autophagy and suppress inflammation, thereby alleviating cartilage degeneration. miR129-3p may therefore serve as a potential molecular target for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

KEYWORDS

Osteoarthritis; miR129-3p; Autophagy; LC3B; Beclin-1; Inflammatory factors

CITE THIS PAPER

Wei Huacheng, Li Xinwu. Experimental Study on the Improvement of Osteoarthritis Cartilage Degeneration by miR129-3p through Regulating Autophagy. MEDS Basic Medicine (2026). Vol. 4, No. 1, 22-27. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/medbm.2026.040103.

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