J Neurochem. 2007 Oct 31 [Epub ahead of print] Links
Therapeutic effects of Coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) and reduced CoQ(10) in
the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine model of
Parkinsonism.Cleren C, Yang L, Lorenzo B, Calingasan NY, Schomer A,
Sireci A, Wille EJ, Beal MF.
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Medical College of
Cornell University, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.

Coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) is a promising agent for neuroprotection in
neurodegenerative diseases. We tested the effects of various doses of
two formulations of CoQ(10) in food, and found that administration in
the diet resulted in significant protection against loss of dopamine,
which was accompanied by a marked increase in plasma concentrations of
CoQ(10). We further investigated the neuroprotective effects of
CoQ(10), reduced CoQ(10) (ubiquinol), and CoQ(10) emulsions in the
(MPTP) model of Parkinson's disease (PD). We found neuroprotection
against MPTP induced loss of dopamine using both CoQ(10), and reduced
CoQ(10), which produced the largest increases in plasma
concentrations. Lastly, we administered CoQ(10) in the diet to test
its effects in a chronic MPTP model induced by administration of MPTP
by Alzet pump for one month. We found neuroprotective effects against
dopamine depletion, loss of tyrosine hydroxylase neurons and induction
of alpha-synuclein inclusions in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
The finding that CoQ(10) is effective in a chronic dosing model of
MPTP toxicity, is of particular interest, since this may be more
relevant to PD. These results provide further evidence that
administration of CoQ(10) is a promising therapeutic strategy for the
treatment of PD.


PMID: 17973981 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]