Menaquinone 4

Menaquinone 4 (CAS No.: 863-61-6) is a predominant form of vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) that arises endogenously through the conversion of vitamin K1 and accumulates in multiple tissues, including hepatic, skeletal, and neural compartments, positioning it as a key bioactive quinone in studies of metabolism, bone biology, and oncology. Functionally, it serves as a cofactor in vitamin K–dependent carboxylation reactions and exhibits hemostatic activity, while also being widely investigated for its role in bone metabolism and as an adjunctive agent in osteoporosis-related pain. At the molecular level, menaquinone 4 has been shown to modulate signaling pathways implicated in cell proliferation and inflammation, including inhibition of IκB kinase activity, suppression of IκBα phosphorylation, and attenuation of NF-κB–mediated transcriptional activity, thereby influencing inflammatory and survival pathways. In cancer research, it demonstrates antiproliferative effects in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, inducing cell cycle arrest at the G phase in a concentration-dependent manner, with reported activity typically observed in the low micromolar to micromolar range in vitro. Additionally, its involvement in metabolic and endocrine pathways has led to investigation in disease models such as diabetes and prediabetic states. Menaquinone 4 is therefore commonly utilized in cellular and animal models to study vitamin K–dependent processes, bone remodeling, tumor cell biology, and inflammatory signaling, with experimental concentrations or dosing regimens tailored to specific study designs and therapeutic hypotheses in drug discovery and translational research contexts.