Serum Coenzyme Q10 Concentration Research Articles

Coenzyme Q10 as Adjunctive Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension: A Systematic Review

Mitochondrial ATP production requires a small electron carrier, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which has been used as adjunctive therapy in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension (HTN) because of its bioenergetics and antioxidant properties. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) beyond the last 2 decades evaluating CoQ10 added to conventional therapy resulted in mixed results and were underpowered to address major clinical endpoints. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the impact of CoQ10 supplementation on older adults with CVD or HTN in the last 2 decades (2000-2020). PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Database, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases were searched systematically, and references from selected studies were manually reviewed, to identify RCTs or crossover studies evaluating the efficacy of CoQ10 supplementation. Data extracted from selected studies included trial design and duration, treatment, dose, participant characteristics, study variables, and important findings. A total of 14 studies (1067 participants) met the inclusion criteria. The effect of CoQ10 supplementation was examined among predominantly older adult males with heart failure (HF) (n=6), HTN (n=4), and ischemic heart disease (n=3), and preoperatively in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery (n=1). CoQ10 supplementation in patients with HF improved functional capacity, increased serum CoQ10 concentrations, and led to fewer major adverse cardiovascular events. CoQ10 had positive quantifiable effects on inflammatory markers in patients with ischemic heart disease. Myocardial hemodynamics improved in patients who received CoQ10 supplementation before cardiac surgery. Effects on HTN were inconclusive. In predominantly older adult males with CVD or HTN, CoQ10 supplementation added to conventional therapy is safe and offers benefits clinically and at the cellular level. However, results of the trials need to be viewed with caution, and further studies are indicated before widespread usage of CoQ10 is recommended in all older adults.

Miso Soup Consumption Enhances the Bioavailability of the Reduced Form of Supplemental Coenzyme Q10.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an essential compound that is involved in energy production and is a lipid-soluble antioxidant. Although it has been proposed as an antiaging and a health-supporting supplement, its low bioavailability remains a significant issue. Concurrent food intake enhances the absorption of orally administered CoQ10, but it has not been fully established whether specific food substances affect intestinal CoQ10 absorption. Therefore, to determine whether the bioavailability of supplemental CoQ10 is affected by diet, P30, a granulated and reduced form of CoQ10, was dispersed in four different foods, clear soup, miso soup, milk soup, and raw egg sauce. Those foods which contained CoQ10 were consumed on different occasions at intervals of 6–14 weeks by the same participants. Thirteen participants were recruited in the single-dose and repeated clinical study. When miso soup containing P30 was provided, the serum CoQ10 concentration increased faster than when participants consumed other P30-containing soups or a P30-containing raw egg sauce. The area under the curve for serum CoQ10 during the first 5 h after consumption of the P30-containing miso soup was approximately 1.5 times larger than those after the consumption of other P30-containing meals. These data imply that the absorption of CoQ10 supplements can be enhanced by consuming them with food and in particular with specific food substances, such as miso soup.

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in acute ischemic stroke: Is it beneficial in short-term administration?

Backgrounds and aims: Clinical studies demonstrated that the efficacy of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) as an adjuvant therapeutic agent in several neurological diseases such as Parkinson disease (PD), Huntington disease (HD), and migraine. The purpose of this study is to investigate oxidative stress effects, antioxidant enzymes activity, neuroinflammatory markers levels, and neurological outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients following administration of CoQ10 (300 mg/day). Methods: Patients with AIS (n = 60) were randomly assigned to a placebo group (wheat starch, n = 30) or CoQ10-supplemented group (300 mg/day, n = 30). The intervention was administered for 4 weeks. Serum CoQ10 concentration, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) levels as primary outcomes and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Modified Ranking Scale (MRS), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) as secondary outcome were measured at the both beginning and end of the study. Results: Forty-four subjects with AIS completed the intervention study. A significant increase in CoQ10 level was observed in the supplement-treated group compared with placebo group (mean difference = 26.05 ± 26.63 ng/ml, 14.12 ± 14.69 ng/ml, respectively; P = 0.01), moreover CoQ10 supplementation improved NIHSS and MMSE scores significantly (P = 0.05, P = 0.03 respectively). but there were no statistically significant differences in MRS score, MDA, SOD, and GFAP levels between the two groups. Conclusions: CoQ10 probably due to low dose and short duration of supplementation, no favorable effects on MDA level, SOD activity and GFAP level.

Oral coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with migraine: Effects on clinical features and inflammatory markers

Backgrounds and aims: Migraine and inflammation are correlated. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) as an anti-inflammatory agent has shown useful effects in other diseases. The present study aimed to assess the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on inflammation and clinical features of migraine.Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted among 45 non-menopausal women aged 18–50 years, diagnosed for episodic migraine according to the International Headache Society. After one month run-in period, subjects received CoQ10 (400 mg/day CoQ10, n = 23) or placebo (wheat starch, n = 22) for three months. All the patients got prophylactic medication too. Serum CoQ10 concentration, Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured at the beginning and end of the study.Results: CoQ10 supplementation reduced CGRP and TNF-α significantly (p = 0.011 and p = 0.044, respectively), but there were no significant differences in serum IL-6 and IL-10 between the two groups. Significant increase in serum CoQ10 levels was evident with CoQ10 therapy (P < 0.001). A significant improvement was found in frequency (p = 0.018), severity (p = 0.001) and duration (p = 0.012) of migraine attacks in CoQ10 group compared to placebo.Conclusion: CoQ10 supplementation may decrease CGRP and TNF-α with no favorable effects on IL-6 and IL-10 in patients with migraine.

Coenzyme Q10 serum concentration and redox status in European adults: influence of age, sex, and lipoprotein concentration.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is synthesized in almost all human tissues and presumably involved in age-related alterations and diseases. Here, we examined the impact of aging and sex on the serum CoQ10 status in 860 European adults ranging in age from 18 to 82 years. We identified an inverse U-shaped relationship between CoQ10 concentration and age. Women showed lower cholesterol-adjusted CoQ10 levels than men, irrespective of age. As observed in both sexes, the decrease in CoQ10 concentration in older subjects was accompanied by a shift in the redox status in favour of the oxidized form. A strong positive correlation was found for total CoQ10 and cholesterol concentrations (Spearman’s, p≤1E-74). We found strong negative correlations between total (Spearman’s, p≤1E-07) and between cholesterol-adjusted CoQ10 concentration (Spearman’s, p≤1E-14) and the proportion of the oxidized form of CoQ10. These correlations were not dependent on age and sex and were attenuated by supplementation with 150 mg/day reduced CoQ10 for 14 days. Overall, our results are useful to define risk groups with critical CoQ10 status in humans. In particular, older subjects were characterized by impaired CoQ10 status due to their lowered serum CoQ10 concentration and concomitant decrease of CoQ10 redox capacity.

Smoking habits and coenzyme Q10 status in healthy European adults.

IntroductionCoenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipophilic endogenously synthesised antioxidant that is present in nearly all human tissues and plays an important role in mitochondrial energy production. It has been postulated that smoking has a consumptive effect on CoQ10.Material and methodsTo further define the relation between smoking and the serum CoQ10 status, 276 healthy volunteers aged 19 to 62 years were grouped into non-smokers (n = 113; 77 male, 36 female) and smokers (n = 163; 102 male, 61 female). Serum lipid profile was analysed by standard clinical chemistry. Coenzyme Q10 concentration and redox status were analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.ResultsMale smokers showed higher serum CoQ10 levels than female smokers. This sex-related difference was accounted for when CoQ10 was related to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as the main carrier of CoQ10 in the circulation. Neither LDL-adjusted CoQ10 concentration nor redox status significantly differed when smokers and non-smokers were compared. Regarding the smoking history, the number of cigarettes consumed per day did not significantly affect the CoQ10 status. Interestingly, with increasing time of smoking habit we observed increasing levels of LDL-adjusted serum CoQ10 concentration (Spearman's p < 0.002) and of the reduced form of CoQ10 (Spearman's p < 0.0001).ConclusionsAs an adaptive response to oxidative stress in long-term smokers an increased demand for antioxidant capacity may be covered by increasing levels of LDL-adjusted CoQ10 serum concentrations and by a concomitantly increased availability of the reduced, active form of CoQ10, possibly by induction of enzymes that are involved in converting CoQ10ox to CoQ10red.

Coenzyme Q10 consumption promotes ABCG1-mediated macrophage cholesterol efflux: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study in healthy volunteers.

We have recently shown that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) enhances macrophage reverse cholesterol transport via activator protein-1/miRNA-378/ABCG1 signal pathway in vivo and in vitro. Whether CoQ10 exerts similar beneficial effects in human is currently unknown. The present study evaluated the effect of CoQ10 on ABCG1-mediated macrophage cholesterol efflux in 20 healthy volunteers. Participants were given 100 mg CoQ10 twice daily or placebo for 1 week with a 1-week washout period. Human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) were differentiated under pooled sera obtained before (preCoQ10) or after CoQ10 (postCoQ10) consumption. The CoQ10-induced inhibition of MDMs foam cell formation was blocked by ABCG1 silencing in postCoQ10 MDMs incubated with postCoQ10 sera compared to preCoQ10 sera. The cholesterol efflux to HDL, and mRNA as well as protein expressions of ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) were augmented in postCoQ10 MDMs incubated with postCoQ10 sera compared to preCoQ10 sera. The change in the serum CoQ10 concentration positively correlated with cholesterol efflux to HDL and ABCG1 mRNA level in the CoQ10 group. MDMs treated with purified CoQ10 had an enhanced cholesterol efflux to HDL. CoQ10 consumption may have an atheroprotective property by inducing ABCG1 expression and enhancing HDL-mediated macrophage cholesterol efflux in healthy individuals.

The Effect of Bisphosphonate Use on Coenzyme Q10 Serum Levels

BackgroundIt has been proposed in the literature that the nitrogen‐containing bisphosphonates bind to and inhibit the activity of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS), a key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway for cholesterol and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) synthesis. This suggests that bisphosphonate use may decrease serum levels of CoQ10.Objective:The aim of this case report analysis is to assess the effect of a bisphosphonate, alendronate sodium, on serum CoQ10 levels.Methods:7 participants diagnosed with osteoporosis were administered a single tablet of alendronate sodium 70mg once per week for 8 weeks. Assessment of serum CoQ10 concentrations were conducted at baseline, day 14, day 30 and day 60.Results:Statistical analysis was conducted for the 6 completing participants. Compared to baseline, there was a non‐significant mean decrease of 0.1400 mcg/ml in the CoQ10 level at day 14, a non‐significant mean increase of 0.1250 mcg/ml at day 30, and a statistically significant mean increase of 0.1900 mcg/ml at day 60.ConclusionThe results indicate that there was no decrease in the CoQ10 level as a result of bisphosphonate ingestion from day 1 to day 60. These results suggest inhibition of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase by a nitrogen containing bisphosphonate (alendronate sodium) is limited in its inhibitory effect upon the pathway that leads to the synthesis of CoQ10.

Coenzyme Q10 in Equine Serum: Response to Supplementation

Although the importance of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in health and disease and its critical role in cellular bioenergetics have been well established in various species, there is a total lack of information on the role of CoQ10 in horses. Therefore, the present study was undertaken first to ascertain the occurrence of CoQ10 and/or possibly other homologs of coenzyme Q (CoQ) in horse serum, and then to examine the response to CoQ10 supplementation on serum CoQ10 concentration. The study was carried out with 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Total CoQ (reduced and oxidized forms) in serum was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The data show that horse serum contains CoQ as CoQ10, at a much lower concentration as compared with that of humans and several other species. There is no evidence for the presence of coenzyme Q9 or other homologs of CoQ. On supplementation with CoQ10 at 800 mg a day (1.47 mg/kg body weight), there was a significant increase in serum CoQ10 concentration, approximately 2.7-fold at 60 days. CoQ10 supplementation at this dosage was found to be safe and well tolerated. Additional studies are needed to examine whether maintaining higher serum CoQ10 concentrations is of potential health benefit to the horses, as assessed by selected biochemical markers and also in terms of performance.

Serum levels of coenzyme Q 10 in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

To elucidate whether serum coenzyme Q10 levels are related with the risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we compared serum levels of coenzyme Q10 and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio, in 30 patients with ALS and 42 matched controls using a high performance liquid chromatography technique. The mean serum coenzyme Q10 levels and the coenzyme Q10/cholesterol ratio did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups. These values were not influenced by the clinical form (spinal vs. bulbar) of ALS, and they did not correlate with age, age at onset, and duration of the disease. These results suggest that serum coenzyme Q10 concentrations are unrelated with the risk for ALS.

Coenzyme Q10 with multiple vitamins is generally ineffective in treatment of mitochondrial disease.

We followed 16 patients with a variety of mitochondrial diseases over one to four periods of treatment (2 months each) with coenzyme Q10 plus vitamins K3 and C, riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin, using independent measures of oxidative metabolism to assess efficacy. There were large (> threefold) increases in serum coenzyme Q10 concentrations with treatment, but no measure of oxidative metabolism showed significant improvement with treatment for the group, nor did any individual patient show significant, reproducible, objective clinical improvement. The results suggest that coenzyme Q10 plus vitamin therapy does not significantly improve mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in patients with mitochondrial disease in general. Any clinical benefit that may follow from short-term administration appears slight.

Pravastatin投与による血清CoQ&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt;濃度の変化と心機能への影響について

Pravastatin, which is clinically employed in the treatment of patients with hypercholesterolemia successfully lowers cholesterol levels. The mechanism of the action of pravastatin is inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cholesterol from acetyl-CoA. Inhibition of this enzyme may also inhibit the intrinsic biosynthesis of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and consequently attenuate cardiac function. In fact, it has been reported that lovastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, decreases CoQ10 levels and cardiac function, according to evaluation by impedance cardiography (ICG).In order to determine the effects of pravastatin on serum CoQ10 and cardiac function in 12 hypercholesterolemic patients whose cardiac status was class I (NYHA), we measured serum CoQ10 and lipid levels and evaluated cardiac function before and after the administration of pravastatin 10mg/day over 4 weeks.CoQ10 levels were determined by HPLC. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined by the enzymatic method. HDL cholesterol was determined by the heparin/manganese chloride precipitation method. LDL cholesterol was calculated according to Friedewald's equation. Cardiac function was evaluated by ICG and echocardiography. The Heather, Weissler and Acceleration Indices were measured by ICG and the %FS, EF and CO were measured by echocardiography.After four weeks of pravastatin administration, the serum total and the LDL cholesterol level had decreased significantly, and the HDL cholesterol level had increased significantly. At the same time, the serum CoQ10 concentration had decreased (p<0.005) significantly. However, there were no significant changes in cardiac function, as evaluated by ICG and echocardiography.These results indicate that pravastatin decreases CoQ10 levels, but does not affect cardiac function in hypercholesterolemic patients whose cardiac status is class I.

II型高リポ蛋白血症患者におけるProbucol(500mg 1日)投与の影響

The effects of probucol on serum lipids, lipoprotein lipids, serum α-tocopherol and Co-Q10 were studied in 28 patients with type II hyperlipo-proteinemia.The patients received 2×250mg of probucol per day for 16 weeks.Total cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid were significantly reduced with probucol (20%, 17%, 18% respectively). LDL and HDL cholesterol were also reduced significantly (14%, 10% respectively), but atherogenic index (VLDL+LDL-Ch/HDL-Ch) was not significantly changed. The extent of the fall in total cholesterol was directly proportional to the pre-treatment total cholesterol level, the higher this level the greater the decrement. HDL-cholesterol fell by 46% in patients whose pre-treatment HDL-cholesterol levels were over 50mg/dl, but did not fall in patients whose pretreatment levels were under 40mg/dl.There was no significant change in serum α-tocopherol-concentration.Serum Coenzyme Q10 concentration were significantly reduced from 1, 765±308μg/ml to 1, 109±153μg/ml. Generally the drug was well accepted and free of significant toxic effects.These results suggested that probucol in a dose of 500mg/day appeared to be useful for the treatment in patients with type II hyperlipoproteinemia.

高コレステロール血症および心血管疾患における血中 Coenzyme Q&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt;濃度と脂質値の関連について

Serum coenzyme Q10 concentration of 65 healthy persons and 85 patients with either cardiovascular disease or hypercholesterolemia was determined with high performance liquid chromatography. Simultaneously their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoperoxide levels were measured, and correlation of each lipid to serum coenzyme Q10 level of each patient group (hypertension, ischemic heart disease, valvular disease, cardiomyopathy, and hypercholesterolemia) was studied.Healthy persons showed higher coenzyme Q10 level as their age increases. When compared with a group of people under 39 years old, a group of those over 40 years old showed significantly higher level.40 healthy persons aged 40 or older contributing as normal control, coenzyme Q10 of each patient group and that of control group were compared. The result showed that hypercholesterolemia revealed significantly higher coenzyme Q10 level compared with that of normal control. In comparison with normal control, this group's HDL cholesterol level yielded no significant difference, but (TC-HDLC)/HDLC ratio was higher and so was lipoperoxide concentration.The groups of valvular disease and cardiomyopathy showed significantly lower level of serum cholesterol compared with that of the normal control, though their mean value of serum coenzyme Q10 concentration was lower but not significantly. Serum coenzyme Q10 and lipid value of both hypertension and ischemic heart disease groups showed little difference from those of the normal control.