Therapeutic Effect of Vitamin K Supplementation in a Mouse Model of Cervical Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09468
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56020:Orthopedics-related
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kimura Atsushi 自治医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20364507)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 後縦靭帯骨化症 / ビタミンK / 頚髄症 / twyマウス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tip-toe walking (ttw) mice were divided into three groups based on vitamin K intake. The control group received vitamin K from a normal diet; the vitamin K supplemented (VKS) group received a normal diet supplemented with an intraperitoneal injection of vitamin K2 (menaquinone; 50 mg/kg, twice a week); and the vitamin K deficient (VKD) group received a gamma-irradiated vitamin K-deficient diet. After 6 weeks of vitamin K interventions, VKS group showed significantly longer stride lengths than the other groups in the footprint analysis. The volume of ectopic calcification was significantly smaller in the VKD group than the other groups. Immunostaining for GRP revealed accumulation of GRP+ osteochondrogenic cells in the vicinity of calcification niduses in the spinal ligament. VKD group had the least number of GRP+ cells around the niduses. The current results indicate that vitamin K supplementation can be a novel therapeutic strategy for OPLL.

Free Research Field

整形外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

OPLL患者に多い肥満や2型糖尿病患者では腸内細菌叢の変化等によってビタミンKが不足した状態にある可能性がある。こうした患者にビタミンKを補充することで靭帯骨化症の伸展を抑制できる可能性がある。