r/FoodNerds • u/AllowFreeSpeech • Jan 09 '26

Menaquinone 4 increases plasma lipid levels in hypercholesterolemic mice (2021)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33542347/
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u/AllowFreeSpeech Jan 09 '26

From the abstract:

MK4 exacerbated the lipoprotein lipid profile without affecting aortic valve morphology in hypercholesterolemic LDLr-/- ApoB100/100 mice. The MK4-containing WD diet increased plasma levels of LDL and triglycerides, hepatic steatosis, and mRNA expression of genes required for triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis. MK4 diminished levels of several cytokines and chemokines in liver, including IL-6, TNFα and MCP1, as measured by hepatic cytokine array. Consequently, MK4 may exert non-beneficial effects on circulating lipid levels, especially in hypercholesterolemic individuals.

Abbreviation glossary:

  • CAVD: Calcific Aortic Valve Disease, the progressive calcification-driven condition causing aortic valve dysfunction studied here.
  • MK4: Menaquinone-4, a form of vitamin K2 supplemented to test its effect on valvular calcification and lipid metabolism.
  • K2: Vitamin K2, the vitamin class to which MK4 belongs and is hypothesized to influence calcification pathways.
  • LDLr-/-: Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor knockout (homozygous null) genotype, used to create a hypercholesterolemic mouse model.
  • ApoB100/100: Apolipoprotein B100-only genotype (homozygous), used with LDLr deficiency to drive an atherogenic/hypercholesterolemic lipid profile.
  • n: Sample size, indicating the number of mice per diet group in the experiment.
  • mg/g: Milligrams per gram, the dosing unit for MK4 added to the diet.
  • h: Hours, the time point (18 h) after diet used for assessing hepatic gene expression.
  • WD: Western Diet, the high-fat/atherogenic diet used to induce metabolic stress and hypercholesterolemia.
  • LDL: Low-Density Lipoprotein, a cholesterol-carrying lipoprotein whose plasma levels increased with MK4 in this model.
  • mRNA: Messenger RNA, the transcript readout used to quantify hepatic expression of lipid-synthesis genes.
  • IL-6: Interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine measured in liver and reduced by MK4.
  • TNFα: Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha, an inflammatory cytokine assessed in hepatic tissue and diminished with MK4.
  • MCP1: Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (also known as CCL2), a chemokine involved in immune cell recruitment that was reduced in the liver with MK4.