2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (2): 270-275

Differential expression of Piezo1 in osseous tissue of steroid- and alcohol-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Wei Tengfei1, He Xiaoming2, 3, Wei Yurou1, Zhan Zhiwei1, He Mincong2, 3, He Wei2, 3, Wei Qiushi2, 3   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Both hormones and alcohol can inhibit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and thus affect bone formation and repair. The occurrence of femoral head collapse is related to mechanical stress stimulation and the ability to repair necrotic tissue. Piezo1 may be a mechanosensitive protein that senses femoral head collapse due to osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).
OBJECTIVE: To observe the differential expression of Piezo1 in osseous tissue of patients with steroid- and alcohol-induced ONFH.
METHODS: Thirty patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty due to ONFH from August 2020 to April 2021 were enrolled, and their femoral head samples (a total of 30, all were ARCO III stage; 20 males, 10 females; 15 cases in the steroid-induced ONFH group and 15 cases in the alcohol-induced ONFH group), clinical and imaging data were collected. The morphological and structural changes of bone specimens in necrotic area were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The semi-quantitative expression of Piezo1 protein in osseous tissue was detected by western blot. The localization expression of Piezo1 protein in osseous tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that bone structure disorder, bone marrow necrosis and a large number of empty bone lacunae were found in the necrotic area of the steroid- and alcohol-induced ONFH groups. The results of western blot assay showed that the expression of Piezo1 in the necrotic, sclerotic and normal area of the femoral head in steroid-induced ONFH group was higher than that in the alcohol-induced ONFH group (P < 0.05). The immunohistochemical results showed that the positive expression of Piezo1 in the necrotic, sclerotic and normal area in the steroid-induced ONFH group was more obvious than that in the alcohol-induced ONFH group. All these findings indicate that Piezo1 may be a mechanosensitive protein that senses ONFH collapse and may be involved in the process of osteogenic repair. The differential expression of Piezo1 in osseous tissue of patients with steroid- and alcohol-induced ONFH may be related to their different repair characteristics of bone formation.
Key words: osteonecrosis of the femoral head, steroid, alcohol, Piezo1, mechanosensitive ion channel, collapse, bone repair, osteogenesis, osteoclast