Vitamin K to aid in healing?

Behnam GHORBANZADEH and his team conducted a study in 2019 to observe the effects of a topical application of vitamin K on the healing of skin wounds in humans. To do this, 63 patients who had been recommended for electrocautery (destruction of unwanted tissues) were recruited for a trial. Some patients received a 1% vitamin K cream after electrocautery, while others (controls) received a commercially available healing cream. A dermatologist conducted an evaluation two weeks later to measure the state of the wound in terms of width and healing time.

The topical application of vitamin K improved wound healing from the fourth day and significantly from the seventh day, where the wound width reduced from 6 mm to 0 mm in 14 days, compared to the control group (from 6 mm to 2 mm in 14 days). Moreover, the average healing time was 12.4 days for the control group and 10.6 days for the vitamin K group. Therefore, topical vitamin K appears to accelerate the healing process. However, the results showed that the slight decrease in healing time was not significant.

In another study, Zahra Abdulqader AMIN and Shokhan OSMAN utilised and treated 36 rats over a period of 21 days, divided into various groups: a group M that received an ointment (n = 6), a Crece group that received a healing spray (n = 6), a K group that received a vitamin K injection (n = 6), an MK group that received both the ointment and the vitamin K injection (n = 6), a CK group that received the healing spray and the vitamin K injection (n = 6), and an N group that received no treatment (n = 6). The percentage of wound contraction was measured and blood serum was collected to test the level of TGF-β and PDGF growth factors for platelets, both involved in the healing process.

The data presented in the study showed that the highest wound contraction percentage (99%) was achieved by the rats in the MK group compared to the control group. There was also a more significant increase in the expression level of TGF-β in the MK, CK, and K rat groups, in which the average expression level of TGF-β was 87.5, 66.5, and 63.5 pg/ml respectively. Finally, the MK group also showed a significant increase in the levels of the PDGF growth factor. All these results imply a key role of Vitamin K in wound healing.

What mechanisms does vitamin K use to aid in the healing process?

Due to its ability to enhance the epithelialisation period, increase the formation of fibroblasts, collagen fibres, blood vessels, as well as the content of hydroxyproline, an amino acid that participates in collagen synthesis by covalently binding with the peptide chains of collagen, topical Vitamin K has the potential to promote wound healing.

It is important to understand that when hydroxyproline is present in large quantities in its free form, this can indicate a malfunction in collagen metabolism. Indeed, studies have shown that in rats suffering from avitaminosis K (vitamin K deficiency), the collagen content in the skin was lower and the content of free hydroxyproline was higher. Therefore, vitamin K allows hydroxyproline to bind to peptide chains, thus triggering the proliferation of collagen.

Finally, it has been demonstrated that blood coagulation can stimulate healing. The healing action of vitamin K may be due to its effect on blood coagulation, as vitamin K has a known effect on the maturation of coagulation factors through γ-carboxylation. Moreover, reactive oxygen species (ROS) also play a significant role in the pathogenesis of skin wounds. During oxidative stress (tobacco, pollution, UV), the overproduction of ROS leads to cytotoxicity and delayed healing. However, vitamin K, with its antioxidant properties, can improve wound healing, perhaps by eliminating ROS.

Nevertheless, additional research is required to confirm the mechanisms involved.