Recently, a research group has made progress in studying vitamin K2 to improveBone health achieved. This enables a new therapeutic approach against osteoporosis. This is a common debilitating bone disease characterized by bone loss and degeneration of the bone structure. The condition occurs primarily due to an imbalance between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts.
Use of vitamin K2 against bone loss
When bone resorption exceeds bone formation, it results in low bone density. Accordingly, this increases the risk of fractures, which often causes osteoporosis. As a coenzyme of glutamate γ-carboxylase, vitamin K2 can carboxylate the residues of glutamate and the protein osteocalcin, which occurs due to vitamin K, as well as matrix γ-carboxylated glutamate residual proteins. According to the researchers, the osteocalcin would promote bone formation in this case. However, it is difficult to obtain fat-soluble vitamin K2 to reach its maximum concentration in the body. There is also a risk of local overdose as the body stores it in the liver. Therefore, this research work consisted of improving the bioavailability of this vitamin through modification. In addition, the team used amphiphilic carrier protein to hydrophilically modify vitamin K2. The result was impressive. They obtained spherical nanoparticles uniformly dispersed in the aqueous solution by optimizing the ratio of carrier protein and vitamin K2 (MK7).
As a result, the researchers got evidence of markers related to osteoblast differentiation. The scientists then applied the optimized nanoparticles to MC3T3-E1 cells. The research team found that the expression of osteoblastic markers, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin and OPG/RANKL, was significantly upregulated. The formation of extracellular mineralized nodules has also increased significantly. According to the authors, this showsthis studyindicate that the modified nanoparticles of the vitamin can effectively promote the differentiation of osteoblasts. These promising research results open new possibilities for treating osteoporosis with such vitamins as an alternative.
