Fig 1: Validation of Key Targets’ Osteogenic Relevance (A,B) CCK8 assay to determine MEHP concentration. (C) Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining of BMSCs after MEHP intervention. (D–F) Decreased expression of type I collagen (COL1), RUNX2, and BMP2 after MEHP intervention. (G) MEHP reduced the protein levels of CTSD and VCP, (H–M) Significant increase in the expression of COL1, BMP2, and RUNX2 genes during osteogenesis of BMSCs. (N, O) MEHP-mediated inhibition of CTSD and VCP proteins impaired the osteogenic capacity of BMSCs. (P) ALP staining after siRNA treatment.