Studies on action of menaquinone-7 in regulation of bone metabolism and its preventive role of osteoporosis.

The effect of menaquinone-7 (MK-7) on bone components and bone resorbing factors induced-bone resorption using the femoral-diaphyseal and - metaphyseal tissues obtained from elderly female rats in vitro were examined. Calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues in elderly females rats were significantly decreased as compared with that of young rats, indicating that aging causes a deterioration of bone formation. The presence of MK-7 (10(-6)-10(-5) M) caused a significant prevention of reduction of biochemical components. On the other hand, the bone-resorbing factor, parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH; 10(-7) M) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2); 10(-5) M) caused a significant decrease in calcium content in the diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues. This decreases was completely inhibited in the presence of MK-7 (10(-7)-10(-5) M). In addition, MK-7 (10(-7)-10(-5) M) completely prevented the PTH (10(-7) M) or PGE(2) (10(-5) M) induced increases in medium glucose consumption and lactic acid production by bone tissues, Furthermore, the effect of the prolonged intake of dietary MK-7 on bone loss in ovariectomized rats was investigated. As a result, it was found that the intake of experimental diets containing the fermented soybean (natto) with supplemental MK-7 caused significant elevations of MK-7 and gamma-carboxylated osteocalcin concentration, a bio marker of bone formation, in the serum of both ovariectomized rats and normal subjects, suggesting that MK-7 may play an important role in the prevention of age-related bone loss.

Dietary supplementation of fermented soybean, natto, suppresses intimal thickening and modulates the lysis of mural thrombi after endothelial injury in rat femoral artery.

We have previously demonstrated that natto-extracts containing nattokinase (NK) inactivates plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 and then potentiates fibrinolytic activity. In the present study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with natto-extracts on neointima formation and on thrombolysis at the site of endothelial injury. Endothelial damage in the rat femoral artery was induced by intravenous injection of rose bengal followed by focal irradiation by transluminal green light. Dietary natto-extracts supplementation containing NK of 50 or 100 CU/body was started 3 weeks before endothelial injury and then continued for another 3 weeks. Intimal thickening in animals given supplementation was significantly (P<0.01) suppressed compared with controls and the intima/media ratio in animals with 50 and 100 CU/body NK and control group was 0.09 +/- 0.03, 0.09 +/- 0.06 and 0.16 +/- 0.12, respectively. Although femoral arteries were reopened both in control animals and those treated with NK within 8 hours after endothelial injury, mural thrombi were histologically observed at the site of endothelial injury. In the control group, the center of vessel lumen was reopened and mural thrombi were attached on the surface of vessel walls. In contrast, in NK-treated groups, thrombi near the vessel wall showed lysis and most of them detached from the surface of vessel walls. In conclusion, dietary natto-extracts supplementation suppressed intimal thickening produced by endothelial injury in rat femoral artery. These effects may partially be attributable to NK, which showed enhanced thrombolysis near the vessel wall.

Inhibitory effect of menaquinone-7 (vitamin K2) on the bone-resorbing factors-induced bone resorption in elderly female rat femoral tissues in vitro.

The inhibitory effect of menaquinone-7 (MK-7; vitamin K2) on osteoclast-like cell formation and osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro is found (Mol Cell Biochem 228: 39-47, 2001). This study, furthermore, was undertaken to determine the effect of MK-7 on the bone-resorbing factor-induced bone resorption using the femoral-diaphyseal and -metaphyseal tissues obtained from elderly female rats in vitro. Femoral-diaphyseal and -metaphyseal tissues were cultured for 48 h in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (high glucose, 4.5%) supplemented with antibiotics and bovine serum albumin. The experimental cultures contained MK-7 (10(-7)-10(-5) M). The bone-resorbing factors, parathyroid hormone (1-34) (PTH; 10(-7) M) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2; 10(-5) M), caused a significant decrease in calcium content in the diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues. The PTH or PGE2-induced decrease in bone calcium content was completely inhibited in the presence of MK-7 (10(-7)-10(-5) M). In addition, MK-7 (10(-7)-10(-5) M) completely prevented the PTH (10(-7) M)- or PGE2 (10(-5) M)-induced increase in medium glucose consumption and lactic acid production by bone tissues. These results support the view that MK-7 has a direct inhibitory effect on the bone-resorbing factor-induced bone resorption in bone culture using female aged femoral tissues in vitro.

Dietary supplementation with fermented soybeans suppresses intimal thickening.

Although soy foods have been consumed for more than 1000 y, it is only in the past 20 y that they have made inroads into Western diets. We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with natto extracts produced from fermented soybeans on intimal thickening of arteries after vessel endothelial denudation. Natto extracts include nattokinase, a potent fibrinolytic enzyme having four times greater fibrinolytic activity than plasmin. Intimal thickening was induced in the femoral arteries by intravenous infusion of rose bengal followed by focal irradiation with a transluminal green light. Dietary natto extract supplementation was started 3 wk before endothelial injury and continued for another 3 wk after. In ex vivo studies, euglobulin clot lysis times were measured 3 wk after the initial supplementation. Neointima formation and thickening were also initiated successfully. The intima media ratio 3 wk after endothelial injury was 0.15 +/- 0.03 in the control group. Dietary natto extract supplementation suppressed intimal thickening (0.06 +/- 0.01; P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Natto extracts shortened euglobulin clot lysis time, suggesting that their thrombolytic activities were enhanced. These findings suggest that natto extracts, because of their thrombolytic activity, suppress intimal thickening after vascular injury as a result of the inhibition of mural thrombi formation.

Stimulatory effect of menaquinone-7 on bone formation in elderly female rat femoral tissues in vitro: prevention of bone deterioration with aging.

Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is vitamin K2 which is a series of vitamins with multiisoprene units at the 3-position of the naphthoquinone. MK-7 has been shown to prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats, an animal model for osteoporosis. This study was undertaken to determine whether MK-7 has a stimulatory effect on bone components of elderly female rats in vitro. The femoral-diaphyseal and -metaphyseal tissues obtained from young (4 weeks old) or elderly (50 weeks old) female rats were cultured for 48 h in a Dullbecco's modified Eagle's medium (high glucose, 4.5%) supplemented with antibiotics and bovine serum albumin. Calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues obtained from elderly rats were significantly decreased as compared with those of young rats, indicating that aging causes a deterioration of bone formation. The presence of MK-7 (10(-6) or 10(-5) M) caused a significant increase in biochemical components in the femoral-diaphyseal and -metaphyseal tissues obtained from elderly rat in vitro. The anabolic effect of MK-7 (10(-6) or 10(-5) M) on the femoral calcium content was significantly enhanced in the presence of phytoestrogen genistein (10(-6) or 10(-5) M), suggesting that the mode of action of MK-7 differ from that of genistein. The effect of MK-7 (10(-5) M) in increasing calcium content, alkaline phosphatase activity and DNA content in the diaphyseal and metaphyseal tissues was completely abolished in the presence of cycloheximide (10(-6) M), an inhibitor of protein synthesis in vitro. These findings demonstrate that MK-7 has a stimulatory effect on bone formation in the femoral tissues of elderly female rats in vitro. MK-7 may have a preventive role for bone deterioration with aging.