Researchers examined the effects of MK-7 and menaquinone-4 (MK-4) on neuroblastoma cells to understand how different forms of vitamin K2 impact the expression of genes involved in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.
Photo © AdobeStock.com/LuckyStep
A recent study1 conducted by researchers at Sapienza University of Rome found that vitamin K2 as menaquinone-7 (MK-7) may have neuroprotective properties. In the study, researchers examined the effects of MK-7 and menaquinone-4 (MK-4) on neuroblastoma cells to understand how different forms of vitamin K2 impact the expression of genes involved in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.
Results showed that MK-7 was associated with the “downregulation of neurodegeneration- (PSEN1 and BACE1) and neuroinflammation- (IL-1β and IL-6) associated genes.” Additionally, genes related to protective rolls toward amyloidogenesis – involved in the formation and growth of amyloid structures – were upregulated (ADAM10 and ADAM17). After profiling DNA methylation patterns of genes known to be epigenetically regulated, the researchers found that there was a correlation between hypermethylation and the downregulation of PSEN1, IL-1β and IL-6. According to the researchers, this suggests that MK-7 may have neuroprotective qualities by mitigating neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory pathways, which is mediated by the hypermethylation of the regulatory regions of PSEN1, IL-1β and IL-6.
While the researchers acknowledge that the use of a tumor cell line is not the proper model of neurodegeneration or neuroinflammation, they do represent “a very useful preliminary (first-line) model to screen the molecular targets of exogenous compounds since these cells express all the genes involved in amyloid processing at discrete levels and show detectable basal levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.” Therefore, the results through preliminary are promising and allow the researchers to refine analysis through animal models.
References
Orticello, M.; Cavallaro, R.A.; Antinori, D.; Raia, T,; Lucarelli, M.;Fuso, A. Amyloidogenic and Neuroinflammatory Molecular Pathways Are Contrasted Using Menaquinone 4 (MK4) and Reduced Menaquinone 7 (MK7R) in Association with Increased DNA Methylation in SK-N-BE Neuroblastoma Cell Line. Cells. 2024, 13 (1), 58. DOI: 10.3390/cells13010058
Cracking the code: Advancements in calcium absorption and nutritional understanding
July 23rd 2024Recent research conducted by ILSI U.S. and Canada – a global, nonprofit federation dedicated to advancing precompetitive research in the food, nutrition and health realms – and partially funded by Balchem, has shed light on how to improve predictions of Ca bioavailability across different food matrices.
Recent animal study finds that Lysoveta may help reduce neonatal brain injury
July 17th 2024A recent animal study found that lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-bound omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), marketed as Lysoveta by Aker BioMarine, protected against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in mice.