Inhibition of Osteoblast Proliferation and Migration by Exogenous and Endogenous Formaldehyde

Exogenous and endogenous formaldehyde (FA) plays an important role in cell growth and migration; however, its potential role in osteoblasts remains largely unclear. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and wound healing assays revealed that FA exposure at naturally occurring concentrations inhibited the proliferation and migration of mouse preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. Moreover, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed that FoxO1 signaling pathway components displayed distinct expression patterns upon FA exposure, reflected through significant enrichment of cell migration. In particular, FoxO1 Sirt1 and FA-induced related protein expression which were closely with cell proliferation and migration were confirmed by western blotting. The present results indicate that the FoxO1 pathway is involved in FA-induced inhibition of cell growth and migration.