A large number of clinical studies have proved that vitamin K2 (MK-7) can prevent vascular calcification. Micro CT clinical detection found that hippocampal calcification was closely related to aging. The degenerative changes of hippocampal synaptic function will lead to the aging of cognitive ability (such as learning and memory). The intake of vitamin K2 (MK-7) will have a positive impact on memory loss and cognitive ability.
On October 15, 2022, Lee and other nine researchers published in the journal Life Sciences "Animal Study on MK-7 to Improve Senile Memory Impairment Related to Cerebrovascular Calcification". Conclusion: Long term MK-7 supplementation can significantly improve age-related memory and cognitive impairment. The authors believe that MK-7 can be used to develop new drugs to improve memory and cognitive ability of the elderly.
Research methods:
60 elderly mice were randomly divided into five groups: standard diet group, calcium carbonate diet group, 400 µ g/day (MK-7)+standard diet group, 400 µ g/day (MK-7)+calcium carbonate diet group and 40 µ g/day (MK-7)+calcium carbonate diet group. Twelve mice in each group were fed MK-7 five times a week. The standard diet group of 10 young mice was used as the control group. Morris water maze (MWM) test was conducted at 19 and 22 months of feeding.
Research results:
① Compared with the young mouse group, the old mouse group showed significant decline in spatial memory and cognitive ability at all time points.
② This kind of memory and cognitive ability was significantly restored by feeding a high dose of MK-7 every day for 4 months.
③ Microcomputer tomography showed that feeding MK-7 also improved cerebral vascular calcification in the elderly mice group.
Figure 1. Escape from the water to the underwater platform to the hidden platform
(MWM test) time:
Ⅰ.400 µ g/day (MK-7)+calcium carbonate diet group (red triangle) spent the shortest time during 4 days of training.
Ⅱ.Close to the young mouse group (black dot).
Figure 2. Isolated sagittal brain of mice μCT image
(The white square represents the calcified part):
Methods: At least three consecutive μ In CT imaging, intracranial vascular calcification was considered and confirmed by histological examination.
Results: The two aged mice fed MK-7 had no intracranial vascular calcification as the young mice, but the other two aged mice had intracranial vascular calcification.
Research conclusion:
The aged mice showed cognitive decline and intracranial vascular calcification. Elderly mice fed MK-7 improved cognitive decline by inhibiting vascular calcification. Therefore, MK-7 may play a beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
【Source of literature】
Lee B, Choi GM, Hong JP, Cho DE, Kim Y, Yeom M, Han JJ, Kim SR, Hahm DH. Menaquinone-7 ameliorates cerebrovascular calcification-associated memory decline in aged mice. Life Sci. 2022 Oct 15;307:120912. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120912. Epub 2022 Aug 26.