Alpha-ketoglutarate decreases serum levels of C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) in postmenopausal women with osteopenia: six-month study

Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2007 Mar;77(2):89-97. doi: 10.1024/0300-9831.77.2.89.

Abstract

Several studies have shown that alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) increases serum levels of proline and has beneficial effects on skeletal development. We studied the effect of alpha-ketoglutaric (AKG) acid calcium salt (6 g AKG and 1.68 Ca/day) or calcium alone (1.68 Ca/day) on serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) and osteocalcin (OC), as well as on lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) in a randomized, parallel group, double-blind, 6-month study conducted on 76 postmenopausal women with osteopenia. The maximum decrease of the mean CTX level in the AKG-Ca group was observed after 24 weeks (37.0%, p = 0.006). The differences in CTX between study groups were statistically significant after 12 and 24 weeks. The OC serum level was not affected by treatments. The BMD of the AKG-Ca group increased by 1.6% from baseline; however, the difference between treatment groups was estimated as 0.9% (non-significant). This study suggests the potential usefulness of AKG-Ca in osteopenic postmenopausal women. AKG-Ca induced beneficial changes in serum CTX, which was consistent with preserving the bone mass in the lumbar spine; however, the long-term effect needs to be further investigated.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Absorptiometry, Photon
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Bone Density / drug effects
  • Bone Diseases, Metabolic / blood*
  • Collagen Type I / blood*
  • Collagen Type I / drug effects
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ketoglutaric Acids / administration & dosage
  • Ketoglutaric Acids / pharmacology*
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / drug effects
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / metabolism
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteocalcin / blood
  • Osteocalcin / drug effects
  • Peptides / blood*
  • Peptides / drug effects
  • Postmenopause / blood*
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Collagen Type I
  • Ketoglutaric Acids
  • Peptides
  • collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide
  • Osteocalcin