Redox State Of Coenzyme Research Articles

Redox State of Coenzyme Q10 Determines Its Membrane Localization

The interaction between oxidized (ubiquinone-10) and reduced (ubiquinol-10) coenzyme Q 10 with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine has been examined by differential scanning microcalorimetry, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and (2)H NMR. Microcalorimetry experiments showed that ubiquinol-10 perturbed considerably more the phase transition of the phospholipids than ubiquinone-10, both forms giving rise to a shoulder of the main transition peak at lower temperatures. Small angle X-ray diffraction showed an increase in d-spacing suggesting a thicker membrane in the presence of both ubiquinone-10 and ubiquinol-10, below the phase transition and a remarkable broadening of the peaks indicating a loss of the repetitive pattern of the lipid multilamellar vesicles. Infrared spectroscopy showed an increase in wavenumbers of the maximum of the CH 2 stretching vibration at temperatures below the phase transition, in the presence of ubiquinol-10, indicating an increase in the proportion of gauche isomers in the gel phase, whereas this effect was smaller for ubiquinone-10. A very small effect was observed at temperatures above the phase transition. (2)H NMR spectroscopy of perdeuterated DMPC showed only modest changes in the spectra of the phospholipids occasioned by the presence of coenzyme Q 10. These small changes were reflected, in the presence of ubiquinol-10, by a decrease in resolution indicating that the interaction between coenzyme Q and phospholipids changed the motion of the lipids. The change was also visible in the first spectral moment (M1), which is related with membrane order, which was slightly decreased at temperatures below the phase transition especially with ubiquinol-10. A slight decrease in M 1 values was also observed above the phase transition but only for ubiquinol-10. These results can be interpreted to indicate that most ubiquinone-10 molecules are localized in the center of the bilayer, but a considerable proportion of ubiquinol-10 molecules may span the bilayer interacting more extensively with the phospholipid acyl chains.

The redox state of coenzyme Q 10 in mitochondrial respiratory chain and oxygen-derived free radical generation in cardiac cells

The aim of this study was to relate changes in the redox state of mitocondrial electron carriers to the ‘burst’ of oxyradicals in postischemic myocardium. The free radical EPR signals of control and re-oxygenated rat hearts were mainly due to coenzyme Q 10, the line width was 0.81 ± 0.02 mT, and the intensities (1.58±0.12) × 10 16 and (1.41±0.13) × 10 16 spins/g. The low-temperature spectra of oxygenated myocardium contained a predominant signal from a S3 FeS center and weak signals from N1b, N2, N3, N4 and S1 centers. Global ischemia caused cardinal changes in the redox state of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The low-temperature EPR spectrum now contained intensive signals from most FeS centers. The amount of coenzyme Q 10 semiquinones decreased during global ischemia, but the content of flavosemiquinones increased. The line width of the signal of the ischemic heart was 1.28±0.03 mT, and its intensity corresponded (3.16±0.94) × 10 16 spins/g. The spin-trapping experiments with TEMPONE-H showed that the rate of oxyradical generation in isolated cardiomyocytes essentially increased after hypoxia or on adding rotenone and antimycin A. It became equal to 4.2±0.3, 8.2±0.6 and 7.1±0.5 nmol/min mg −1 mitochondrial protein, respectively. The maximal stimulatory effect was observed in the presence of both inhibitors. The addition of superoxide dismutase, but not catalase, suppressed the formation of oxyradicals.

Effect of lipoic acid on redox state of coenzyme Q in mice treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and diethyldithiocarbamate

We investigated the effects of a combined treatment of male C57Bl/6 mice with diethyldithiocarbamate and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) in the absence or presence of different forms of lipoic acid (Thioctacid T R; commonly used for treatment of diabetic polyneuropathies) on levels and redox states of α-tocopherol and coenzyme Q in vivo and on activities of various enzymes of energy metabolism ex vivo. Treatment of mice with diethyldithiocarbamate plus MPTP resulted in a decrease in dopamine (67%) and its major metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (38%) and homovanillic acid (37%) in striatum. α-Tocopherol levels were unaltered in striatum; however, the reduced forms of coenzyme Q were decreased in frontal cortex and hippocampus following diethyldithiocarbamate plus MPTP. In frontal cortex activity of NADH dehydrogenase was significantly inhibited by diethyldithiocarbamate plus MPTP ex vivo, suggesting that the neurotoxic metabolite of MPTP, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion, is acting in brain regions other than striatum as well. Lipoic acid, administered 6 times, each at 90 min prior to MPTP, could not restore dopamine in striatum but in contrast maintained a normal ratio of the reduced form to the oxidized form of coenzyme Q, suggesting an interaction of lipoic acid with energy metabolism which seems, however, not only to be due to an activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Dietary supplementation with coenzyme Q 10 results in increased levels of ubiquinol-10 within circulating lipoproteins and increased resistance of human low-density lipoprotein to the initiation of lipid peroxidation

Ubiquinol-10 (CoQH 2, the reduced form of coenzyme Q 10) is a potent antioxidant present in human low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Supplementation of humans with ubiquinone-10 (CoQ, the oxidized coenzyme) increased the totaentrations of CoQH 2 in plasma acid and in all of its lipoproteins. Intake of a single oral dose of 100 or 200 mg CoQ increased the total plasma coenzyme content by 80 or 150%, respectively, within 6 h. Long-term supplementation (three times 100 mg CoQ/day) resulted in 4-fold enrichment of CoQH 2 in plasma and LDL with the latter containing 2.8 CoQH 2 molecules per LDL particle (on day 11). Approx. 80% of the coenzyme was present as CoQH 2 and the CoQH 2/CoQ ratio was unaffected by supplementation, indicating that the redox state of coenzyme Q 10 is tightly controlled in the blood. Oxidation of LDL containing various [CoQH 2] by a mild, steady flux of aqueous peroxyl radicals resulted immediately in very slow formation of lipid hydroperoxides. However, in each case the rate of lipid oxidation increased markedly with the disappearance of 80–90% CoQH 2. Moreover, the cumulative radical dose required to reach this ‘break point’ in lipid oxidation was proportional to the amount of CoQH 2 incorporated in vivo into the LDL. Thus, oral supplementation with CoQ increases CoQH 2 in the plasma and all lipoproteins thereby increasing the resistance of LDL to radical oxidation.