Protective Effects of Vitamin K Compounds on the Proteomic Profile of Osteoblasts under Oxidative Stress Conditions

Oxidative stress, which accompanies the pathogenesis of many bone diseases, contributes to the reduction of osteoblast activity, resulting in the inhibition of differentiation. This study aimed to assess the effect of vitamins K1 and K2 (MK4 and MK7) on the proteomic profile of human osteoblasts cell line under oxidative conditions induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The analysis was performed using QExactiveHF mass spectrometer with a nanoelectrospray ionization source. The osteoblast protein exposed to oxidative stress and vitamin K was compared with the proteome of cells exposed only to oxidative stress. Our proteomic analysis identified 1234 proteins changed after 5 days, 967 after 15 days, and 1214 after 20 days of culture. We observed the most frequent changes in the expression of proteins with catalytic activity or protein/DNA binding properties (45% and 40%, respectively). Significant changes were also observed in proteins with transcription/translation regulator activity (2-6%), regulators of molecular functions (5-6%), signal transducers (1-4%), transporters (4-6%), and structural molecules (3-5%). Our results clearly show that vitamins K protect cells from H₂O₂-induced changes in protein expression, primarily through their effects on transcriptional regulators and transporter proteins. As a result, vitamins K can support the formation, remodeling, and mineralization of bone tissue.