Adulthood obesity is positively associated with adipose tissue concentrations of vitamin K and inversely associated with circulating indicators of vitamin K status in men and women.
Increased adiposity is associated with increased storage of several fat-soluble nutrients. However, the extent to which vitamin K is stored in fat and the association between vitamin K status and adiposity are unknown. Our objectives in this study were to determine whether vitamin K is stored in human adipose tissue and the association between vitamin K status and body fat in older men and women. In study A, the vitamin K concentration of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue was quantified in samples taken from 16 gastric bypass patients [13 women, 3 men, age 40 +/- 10 y (mean +/- SD)] using HPLC. In study B, cross-sectional associations between percent body fat (%BF) and circulating measures of vitamin K status were examined in 260 women and 183 men [age = 68 +/- 5 y]. The phylloquinone (K(1)) concentrations in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue were 148.2 +/- 71.8 and 175 +/- 112 nmol/kg, respectively, which is higher than the reported concentrations of other organs known to store vitamin K. There was an inverse association between %BF and plasma K(1) in women (P-trend < 0.001). Higher %BF was associated with greater circulating concentrations of uncarboxylated prothrombin, indicative of lower hepatic utilization of vitamin K in both men (P-trend = 0.02) and women (P-trend = 0.002) but not with the percentage of undercarboxylated osteocalcin. Adipose tissue contained high concentrations of vitamin K, and increased adiposity was associated with poorer vitamin K status in older adults. Additional studies are needed to further explore the relationships among body fat, storage of vitamin K in adipose tissue, and implications for vitamin K status and function.
Shea
M Kyla
MK
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Booth
Sarah L
SL
Gundberg
Caren M
CM
Peterson
James W
JW
Waddell
Catherine
C
Dawson-Hughes
Bess
B
Saltzman
Edward
E
D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000737:chemistry*; D010837:Vitamin K 1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D015675:Osteocalcin; D010837:Vitamin K 1; D011516:Prothrombin