SNF472, a novel anti-crystallization agent, inhibits induced calcification in an in vitro model of human aortic valve calcification

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether SNF472, the hexasodium salt of myo-inositol hexaphosphate (IP6 or phytate): 1. Inhibits induced calcification in cultured aortic valve interstitial cells (VIC) as an in vitro model of aortic valve stenosis and 2. Whether inhibition is different in VIC obtained from healthy and calcified aortic valves. VIC from healthy (n = 5) and calcified (n = 7) human aortic valves were seeded in basic growth medium, osteogenic differentiation medium alone, or in osteogenic medium with SNF472 (3, 10, and 30 μM) and cultivated for 3 weeks. Calcification was quantified spectrophotometrically after Alizarin Red staining. In VIC from calcified valves, a complete inhibition of calcification was observed with SNF472 concentrations of 10 and 30 μM (p  SNF472 inhibited both the formation and the progression of calcification with the strongest effect in VIC from calcified valves.