Menaquinone benefits weight control and improves inflammatory biomarkers in high‐fat diet‐induced obese rats (815.1)

Vitamin K is a co‐factor for γ‐glutamic carboxylase, which is an essential enzyme for the γ‐carboxylation of vitamin K‐dependent proteins. Menaquinone (vitamin K2) has been reported to have favorable effects on bone metabolism and energy metabolism. In the present study we investigated the effects of the long‐term supplementation effects of menaquinone on inflammatory status and weight control in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obese mice. A total of twenty‐one male, 4‐week‐old C57BL/6 mice were fed and randomly divided into 3 groups (7 animals in each group; randomized block design), a normal diet (ND), 45% HFD and a 45% HFD + menaquinone (HFD ‐K2) for 3 months. Weight change, adipose tissue weight and serum proinflammatory cytokines were determines.Compared with the ND, the HFD increased total fat mass, leptin, osteoprotogerine, and fasting blood glucose levels. Consumption of HFD containing menaquinone resulted in significantly less weight gain (12% less, p<0.05). Interestingly, menaquinone supplementation significantly decreased the total fat accumulation (p<0.05) and leptin levels (p<0.05) and reduced serum glucose by 17% compared with the HFD group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that menaquinone supplementation had favorable effects on weight control and body composition possibly through suppressing inflammation. Further studies on the mechanism of menaquinone supplementation in the regulation of body fat accumulation would provide valuable data on the prevention of lifestyle related disorders, including diabetes and obesity. Grant Funding Source : Funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Korea(project no:2012R1A1A3012499