An Improvement of Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Rats by Ubiquinone-10 and Ubiquinol-10 and Bioavailability after Short- and Long-Term Coenzyme Q₁₀Supplementation

Abstract

This study explored effects of ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10, two different forms of coenzyme Q10, in diabetic rats. Oxidative stress is characterized by the depletion of antioxidant defenses and overproduction of free radicals that might contribute to, and even accelerate, the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) complications. Coenzyme Q10 was administered orally to diabetic rats and oxidative stress markers were then assessed. Bioavailability in normal rats was additionally assessed in various tissues and subcellular fractions after short-term and long-term coenzyme Q10 supplementation. Elevated nonfasting blood glucose and blood pressure in diabetic rats were decreased by ubiquinone-10. Both ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10 ameliorated oxidative stress, based on assays for reactive oxygen metabolites and malondialdehyde. Coenzyme Q10 levels increased with both treatments and liver nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) coenzyme Q reductase with ubiquinone-10. Ubiquinol-10 was better absorbed in the liver and pancreas than ubiquinone-10, though both were similarly effective. In bioavailability study, a longer period of coenzyme Q10 supplementation did not lead to its accumulation in tissues or organelles. Both forms of coenzyme Q10 reduced oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Long-term supplementation of coenzyme Q10 appeared to be safe.

The metabolic face of migraine — from pathophysiology to treatment

“…Coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10; known as ubiquinone in its oxidized form and ubiquinol in its reduced form) is an essential cofactor of the electron transport chain with strong antioxidant properties 170,171 . In four placebo controlled double blind trials and two open label studies, CoQ10 treatment (400 mg capsules or 300 mg liquid suspension daily) reduced migraine frequency in adults [172][173][174][175] .…”

Radish (Raphanus sativus) and Diabetes

“…The in vivo system study published by Lee et al (2014) suggested that coenzyme Q10 at ~1600–2000 mg kg −1 of body weight in mice weighing 25–30 g, which equals ~130.1–162.6 mg/kg of body weight in humans, could be a promising therapeutic approach for ameliorating oxidative stress in glaucomatous neurodegeneration [ 43 ]. Later study on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed that both forms of coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10) decreased the oxidative stress state, and the long-term administration of coenzyme Q10 (4 weeks) appeared to be safe [ 44 ].…”

The therapeutic efficacy of water-soluble coenzyme Q10 in an experimental model of tacrolimus-induced diabetes mellitus

“…Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) is an electron transporter in the electron transport chain (ETC) that transports electrons from ETC complex I and II to complex III [6,7]. With its potential antioxidant effects [8][9][10][11][12][13], CoQ 10 has been commercialized and is widely circulated in health care markets, but its therapeutic effect on diseases such as DM is still controversial due to its low bioavailability. The low bioavailability of CoQ 10 is related to its hydrophobic chemical structure, and most of the circulating CoQ 10 are in lipid-soluble form.…”