Ubiquinone supplement health benefit, use with statin drugs, cholesterol level reduction or management, role in Parkinson's disease

Ubiquinone, also known as coenzyme Q10, and abbreviated at times as CoQ10, is a nutrient essential to energy production in mitochondria. This oil-soluble vitamin-like substance is present in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria.

Ubiquinone and statin drugs for cholesterol
Treatment of hypercholesterolemia with statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) is effective in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, statin use is often associated with a variety of muscle-related symptoms or myopathies. Myopathy may be related in part to statin inhibition of the endogenous synthesis of ubiquinone, an essential cofactor for mitochondrial energy production. Ubiquinone is also known as CoQ10 or Coenzyme Q10.

Effects of CoQ10 supplementation on plasma lipoprotein lipid, CoQ10 and liver and muscle enzyme levels in hypercholesterolemic patients treated with atorvastatin: a randomized double-blind study.
Atherosclerosis. 2007 December. Mabuchi H, Nohara A, Kobayashi J, Kawashiri MA, Katsuda S, Inazu A, Koizumi J; Hokuriku Lipid Research Group. Department of Lipidology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Takara-machi 13-1, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan.
Inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme  results in decreased synthesis of cholesterol and other products downstream of mevalonate, such as ubiquinone or dolichol. This was a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined the effects of ubiquinone and placebo in hypercholesterolemic patients treated by atorvastatin. Eligible patients were given 10mg/day of atorvastatin for 16 weeks. Half of the patients were supplemented with 100mg/day of ubiquinone, while the other half were given the placebo. Serum LDL-C levels in the CoQ10 group decreased by 43%, while in the placebo group by 49%. The HDL-C increment was more striking in the ubiquinone group than in the placebo group. All patients showed definite reductions of plasma ubiquinone levels in the placebo group, by 42%. All patients supplemented with CoQ10 showed striking increases in plasma CoQ10 by 127%. In conclusion atorvastatin definitely decreased plasma CoQ10 levels and supplementation with CoQ10 increased their levels. These changes in plasma ubiquinone levels showed no relation to the changes in serum AST, ALT and CK levels. Further studies are needed, however, for the evaluation of ubiquinone supplementation in statin therapy.

Ubiquinone and exercise
The popular supplement coenzyme CoQ10 may give exercisers' endurance a lift. Ubiquinone is a compound the body naturally produces and uses a part of cell growth. While the body produces ubiquinone naturally, some research has found that levels are low in certain medical conditions, including heart failure, Parkinson's disease and diabetes. ubiquinone supplement are, therefore, being studied for treating these conditions; one recent study found that the supplements seemed to boost exercise capacity in people with heart failure. Studies looking at ubiquinone for improving exercise capacity in healthy, active people have yielded mixed results. Dr. Matthew Cooke, of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and his colleagues recruited 22 regularly active young adults, along with 19 who were healthy, but sedentary. The subjects were randomly assigned to take either the fast-melt ubiquinone supplement or a placebo twice a day for 2 weeks. Dr. Matthew Cooke found that those who took the supplement tended to show in increase in muscle ubiquinone levels. After 2 weeks, their performance on exercise tests was improved. In general, the researchers found, supplement users were able to exercise for a longer period before reaching exhaustion. The current findings suggest that the fast-melt formulation may affect the body's short- or longer-term responses to exercise. Previous studies, he noted, have similarly shown that this preparation gets ubiquinone into the blood more rapidly than other formulations. The current study was funded by Switzerland-based Pharma Base, S.A., which also supplied the ubiquinone. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, online March 4, 2008.

Effects of ubiquinone on hydroperoxide concentration and antioxidant enzymatic activities in the rat hippocampus during pilocarpine-induced seizures.
Brain Res. 2010 Feb 22; Santos IM, de Freitas RL, da Silva EP, Feitosa CM, Saldanha GB, Souza GF, Tomé Ada R, Feng D, de Freitas RM. Laboratory Experimental Research in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Piaui, Piaui, Brazil.
Recent researches have shown that antioxidant compounds may have certain neuroprotective effect against the neurotoxicity of seizures at cellular level. Ubiquinone (UQ), an antioxidant compound, exhibits a wide range of therapeutic effects that are attributed to its potent antioxidant capacity. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of UQ in rats, against the observed oxidative stress during seizures induced by pilocarpine. Wistar rats were treated with either 0.9% saline (i.p., control group), UQ (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p., UQ5, UQ10 and UQ20 groups), pilocarpine (400 mg/kg, i.p., P400 group), or co-administration of pilocarpine with UQ group rats 30 min prior to UQ administration. After the treatments all groups were observed for 24 h. The antioxidant enzymatic activities as well as the hydroperoxide concentrations were measured using spectrophotometric methods and the results were analyzed. In pilocarpine group there was a significant increase in hydroperoxides concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity. However, no alteration was observed in superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Antioxidant treatment significantly reduced the hydroperoxide content and increased the superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities in rat hippocampus during seizures induced by pilocarpine. Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that oxidative stress in hippocampus occurs during seizures induced by pilocarpine, which indicates that brain damage induced by the oxidative process plays a crucial role in seizures pathogenic consequences. Our result also suggests that ubiquinone can exert significant neuroprotective effects that might be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

coenzyme q10 supplement home