Effect of Rosuvastatin and Vitamin K on Vascular Calcification in a Rat Model of Adenine-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease

Vascular calcification (VC) is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease and raises the risk of cardiovascular death. The study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of rosuvastatin and/or vitamin K on VC in a rat model of adenine-induced chronic kidney disease and to explore the potential underlying mechanisms. Forty Wistar albino rats were divided equally into 5 groups: rats of group I (control group) received drug vehicle, rats of group II received an adenine-containing diet, rats of group III received an adenine-containing diet + oral rosuvastatin (5 mg/kg/day), rats of group ΙV received an adenine-containing diet + oral vitamin K (40 mg/kg/day), and rats of group V received adenine-containing diet and combined treatment of rousvastatin and vitamin K. The entire experiment lasted for 5 weeks. Then, aortas and kidneys were collected for biochemical and histopathologic analysis. Oxidative stress and inflammation markers were measured in kidney and aortic homogenates, whereas alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin, and bone morphogenic protein-2 levels and autophagic markers were measured in aortic homogenates. Treatment with rosuvastatin and/or vitamin K improved renal function and decreased aortic calcium accumulation. In addition, they decreased alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenic markers level while increasing the expression of autophagic markers. The beneficial effects of rosuvastatin and/or vitamin K are further supported by histopathologic examination of aortas and kidneys. The combined treatment produced the best outcomes in all studied parameters. The study concluded that rosuvastatin and/or vitamin K could improve VC by combating oxidative stress, decreasing inflammation, and autophagy upregulation.