Below is a selection of some of the latest publications on CoQ10.

Teran E, Hernandez I, Nieto B, Tavara R, Ocampo JE, Calle A. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia. Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2009 Apr;105(1):43-5. This is the first study on pregnant women supplemented with coenzyme Q10. Supplementation began at 20 weeks of pregnancy, at a dosage of 200 mg/day and it was able to significantly reduce the incidence of preeclampsia, a rather common disorder of human pregnancy in which the normal hemodynamic response to pregnancy is impaired. This condition remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality and is associated with a significant increase in perinatal mortality. 

Safarinejad MR. Efficacy of coenzyme Q10 on semen parameters, sperm function and reproductive hormones in infertile men. J Urol. 2009 Jul;182(1):237-48.

In this study 212 infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia were treated with 300 mg/day CoQ10 or placebo for 26 weeks. Statistically significant improvement was found, in the CoQ10 group, regarding sperm count and motility values, with a positive correlation between treatment duration of CoQ10 and sperm count as well as mean sperm motility. The CoQ10 group had a significant decrease in serum FSH and LH at the 26 week treatment phase. The authors highlight that a lower serum FSH implies a better spermatogenesis. Morevoer Inhibin B, which reflects Sertoli’s cell function, increased in the CoQ10 group. None of the patients’ wives reported pregnancy during the study period.  It is clear that pregnancy rate would be the most effective outcome parameter but a longer term study on a larger group of patients would be needed to address this issue. This is the second report where CoQ10 treatment was found to improve sperm motility in patients affected by oligoasthenozoospermia.

Balercia G, Mancini A, Paggi F, Tiano L, Pontecorvi A, Boscaro M, Lenzi A, Littarru GP. Coenzyme Q10 and male infertility. J Endocrinol Invest. 2009 May 21.

[Epub ahead of print]

This paper represents a comprehensive review on the implications of CoQ10 in semen physiology and in male infertility.

Cooper JM, Korlipara LV, Hart PE, Bradley JL, Schapira AH. Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E deficiency in Friedreich's ataxia: predictor of efficacy of vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 therapy. Eur J Neurol. 2008 Dec;15(12):1371-9.

Freidreich’s ataxia (FA) is a progressive, invalidating neurodegenerative disease with recognized involvement of mitochondrial chain dysfunction and oxidative stress. 50 patients were randomly assigned to a high dose group receiving 600 mg CoQ10 and 2100 IU vit E/day and to a low dose one (30 mg CoQ10, 24 IU vit E/day) for a period of 2 years. This study lacks a true placebo group, therefore results obtained with both the high and low dose groups were compared to cross-sectional data generated from the analysis of 77 untreated FA patients. 49% of the patients, equally distributed between the low and high dose groups,  had an improved clinical outcome, when compared to the changes of the patients belonging to the untreated cross-sectional group. 16 of the treated patients actually had an absolute improvement in clinical score. Serum CoQ10 and vit E levels were significantly decreased in FA patients compared to unaffected controls; morevoer the responders had  significantly lower baseline serum CoQ10 levels. Decreased serum levels were in fact the best predictor of a positive clinical response. The low dose regimen was found to be as effective as the high dose one.       

Sumien N, Heinrich KR, Shetty RA, Sohal RS, Forster MJ. Prolonged Intake of Coenzyme Q10 Impairs Cognitive Functions in Mice. J Nutr. 2009 Aug 26. [Epub ahead of print]

In this rigorous study mice were fed a diet containing 0.68mg/g or 2.6mg/g, starting at 4 months of age and were tested for sensory motor and cognitive functions until 25 months of age. Intake of the low CoQ10 diet had no negative effects, whereas intake of the higher amount increased spontaneous activity and worsened the age-related losses in cognitive functions. A parallel study documented that ubiquinol 9 and 10  increased in the cerebral cortex, but not in any other region of the brain, in the treated animals. The authors thoroughly discuss the possible biochemical causes of these findings. Perhaps it might also be relevant that CoQ10 is not the predominant coenzyme Q in mouse brain and the high levels were indeed very high.

Somayajulu-Niţu M, Sandhu JK, Cohen J, Sikorska M, Sridhar TS, Matei A, Borowy-Borowski H, Pandey S. Paraquat induces oxidative stress, neuronal loss in  substantia nigra region and Parkinsonism in adult rats: neuroprotection and amelioration of symptoms by water-soluble formulation of Coenzyme Q10. BMC Neurosci. 2009 Jul 27;10:88.

Parashos SA, Swearingen CJ, Biglan KM, Bodis-Wollner I, Liang GS, Ross GW, Tilley BC, Shulman LM; for the NET-PD Investigators. Determinants of the Timing of Symptomatic Treatment in Early Parkinson Disease: The National Institutes of Health Exploratory Trials in Parkinson Disease (NET-PD) Experience. Arch Neurol.  2009 Jul 13. [Epub ahead of print]

Mestre T, Ferreira J, Coelho MM, Rosa M, Sampaio C. Therapeutic interventions for disease progression in Huntington's disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009

Jul 8;(3):CD006455.

Yang L, Calingasan NY, Wille EJ, Cormier K, Smith K, Ferrante RJ, Beal MF. Combination therapy with coenzyme Q10 and creatine produces additive neuroprotective effects in models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. J Neurochem. 2009 Jun;109(5):1427-39. Epub 2009 Mar 28.

Chaturvedi RK, Beal MF. Mitochondrial approaches for neuroprotection. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Dec;1147:395-412. The effects of CoQ10 on different types of neurodegenerative disease are deeply analysed in this comprehensive review focused on molecules capable of improving mitochondrial metabolism.   

Duncan AJ, Bitner-Glindzicz M, Meunier B, Costello H, Hargreaves IP, López LC, Hirano M, Quinzii CM, Sadowski MI, Hardy J, Singleton A, Clayton PT, Rahman S. A  nonsense mutation in COQ9 causes autosomal-recessive neonatal-onset primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency: a potentially treatable form of mitochondrial disease. Am J Hum Genet. 2009 May;84(5):558-66.

Cordero MD, Moreno-Fernández AM, Demiguel M, Bonal P, Campa F, Jiménez-Jiménez, LM, Ruiz-Losada A, Sánchez-Domínguez B, Sánchez Alcázar JA, Salviati L, Navas P.

Coenzyme Q10 distribution in blood is altered in patients with Fibromyalgia. Clin Biochem. 2008 Dec 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Rodríguez-Hernández A, Cordero MD, Salviati L, Artuch R, Pineda M, Briones P, Gómez Izquierdo L, Cotán D, Navas P, Sánchez-Alcázar JA. Coenzyme Q deficiency triggers mitochondria degradation by mitophagy. Autophagy. 2009 Jan 1;5(1):19-32.

Chan SH, Wu KL, Chang AY, Tai MH, Chan JY. Oxidative Impairment of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain Complexes in Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Contributes to Neurogenic Hypertension. Hypertension. 2008 Dec 29. [Epub ahead of print]

Sena CM, Nunes E, Gomes A, Santos MS, Proença T, Martins MI, Seiça RM. Supplementation of coenzyme Q10 and alpha-tocopherol lowers glycated hemoglobin level and lipid peroxidation in pancreas of diabetic rats. Nutr Res. 2008 Feb;28(2):113-21.

Cheng B, Yuan QP, Sun XX, Li WJ. Enhanced Production of Coenzyme Q10 by Overexpressing HMG-CoA Reductase and

Induction with Arachidonic Acid in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2008 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print]

Horvath R, Gorman G, Chinnery PF.  How can we treat mitochondrial encephalomyopathies? Approaches to therapy.

Neurotherapeutics. 2008 Oct;5(4):558-68. Review.

Kocharian A, Shabanian R, Rafiei-Khorgami M, Kiani A, Heidari-Bateni G. Coenzyme Q10 improves diastolic function in children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Cardiol Young. 2009 Aug 25:1-6. [Epub ahead of print]

This is one of the few papers where CoQ10 was given, (from 2 to 10 mg/kg/day, for 6 months) in a double blind trial, to a group of children affected by idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

A significant improvement in the index of heart failure was documented. Furthermore an improvement was significant also for the myocardial performance index, a Doppler-derived interval index of combined systolic and diastolic cardiac performance.The ameliorationof this index was likely due to improvement in diastolic function.

Pacanowski MA, Frye RF, Enogieru O, Schofield RS, Zineh I. Plasma Coenzyme Q10 Predicts Lipid-lowering Response to High-Dose Atorvastatin. J Clin Lipidol. 2008  Aug;2(4):289-297.

This paper thoroughly investigates the relationship between cholesterol-lowering and CoQ10-lowering effects of atorvastatin treatment. Statin treatment, as usual, decreased both CoQ10 and cholesterol but there were differences in the magnitude of the CoQ10 change compared to the change in the other parameters. Specifically the ratio of CoQ10 to cholesterol and to HD cholesterol decreased significantly, while the ratio of CoQ10 to LDL cholesterol increased. Moreover, patients with higher pretreatment CoQ10/LDL cholesterol ratios were the ones associated with a diminished LDL cholesterol-lowering effect of atorvastatin.

Choi HK, Pokharel YR, Lim SC, Han HK, Ryu CS, Kim SK, Kwak MK, Kang KW. Inhibition of liver fibrosis by solubilized coenzyme Q10: Role of Nrf2 activation in inhibiting transforming growth factor-beta1 expression. Toxicol Appl

Pharmacol. 2009 Aug 6. [Epub ahead of print]

Liver fibrosis, which arises from overproduction of the extracellular matrix, includine collagens, is an early stage of cirrhosis and dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) treatment is a known inducer of liver fibrogenesis in mice. In this study CoQ10 treatment significantly inhibited both the increases in fibrosis score and 4-hydroxyproline content (indicative of collagen amount) induced by DMN. Mechanisms responsible for this effect, including upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, were investigated.

Sohet FM, Neyrinck AM, Pachikian BD, de Backer FC, Bindels LB, Niklowitz P, Menke T, Cani PD, Delzenne NM. Coenzyme Q10 supplementation lowers hepatic oxidative stress and inflammation associated with diet-induced obesity in mice.

Biochem Pharmacol. 2009 Jul 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Gökbel H, Gül I, Belviranl M, Okudan N. The Effects Of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Performance During Repeated Bouts of Supramaximal Exercise in  Sedentary Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Choi BS, Song HS, Kim HR, Park TW, Kim TD, Cho BJ, Kim CJ, Sim SS. Effect of coenzyme Q10 on cutaneous healing in skin-incised mice. Arch Pharm Res. 2009 Jun;32(6):907-13. Epub 2009 Jun 26.

In order to study the process of cutaneous healing and the effect of CoQ10, this was given to mice with skin incisions and to controls. The CoQ10 group showed a significant increase of CLP (collagen-like polymer) in skin-incised tissues. Collagen is  biosynthesized to recover the injured tissues because most collagens anchor cells to the extracellular matrix. Moreover the CoQ10 group showed significant inhibition of myeloperoxidase and phospholipase levels, a possible indication of anti-inflammatory effect.

Muta-Takada K, Terada T, Yamanishi H, Ashida Y, Inomata S, Nishiyama T, Amano  S. Coenzyme Q(10) protects against oxidative stress-induced cell death and enhances the synthesis of basement membrane components in dermal and epidermal cells. Biofactors. 2009 Sep 14. [Epub ahead of print]

In this paper CoQ10 was shown to accelerate the production of laminin 332, which promotes basement membrane repair. It is known that basement membrane disruption in sun-exposed skin worsens with advancing age. CoQ10 also showed a protective effect against cell death induced by several reactive oxygen species in keratinocytes. 

Golomb BA, Kwon EK, Koperski S, Evans MA. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like conditions in possible association with cholesterol-lowering drugs: an analysis of patient reports to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Statin Effects Study. Drug Saf. 2009;32(8):649-61.

Hamilton SJ, Chew GT, Watts GF. Coenzyme Q10 improves endothelial dysfunction in statin-treated type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care. 2009 May;32(5):810-2.

This study is consistent with previous reports on the vascular effects of CoQ10. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in Type 2 diabetic patients on stable statin therapy, who received 200 mg CoQ10/day for 12 weeks.  The main finding was a significant increase in brachial artery FMD (flow mediated dilation) with no measurable effect on two markers of systemic oxidative stress.

Mori TA, Burke V, Puddey I, Irish A, Cowpland CA, Beilin L, Dogra G, Watts GF. The effects of omega 3 fatty acids and coenzyme Q10 on blood pressure and heart rate in chronic kidney disease: a randomized controlled trial. J Hypertens. 2009 Sep;27(9):1863-72.

This study showed that Omega 3 fatty acids reduce blood pressure, heart rate and triglycerides in patients with chronic kidney disease. Effects on blood pressure were more pronounced when Omega 3 fatty acids  were taken in conjunction with CoQ10, although CoQ10 had no significant independent effect.  CoQ10 dosage was 200 mg/day and the treatment lasted 8 weeks.

Kharaeva Z, Gostova E, De Luca C, Raskovic D, Korkina L. Clinical and biochemical effects of coenzyme Q(10), vitamin E, and selenium supplementation to psoriasis patients. Nutrition. 2009 Mar;25(3):295-302.

Combined supplementation of CoQ10, vitamin E and selenium to psoriasis patients resulted in significant improvement of clinical conditions and of markers of oxidative stress.

Qu J, Kaufman Y, Washington I. Coenzyme Q10 in the human retina. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Apr;50(4):1814-8.

Biofactors, Vol 32, Numbers 1-4, 2008

This special issue of Biofactors, published in 2009,  contains peer reviewed original papers and reviews  presented at the 5th conference of the International CoQ10 Association held in Kobe, Japan, in November 9-12 2007.

The papers span from basic aspects of CoQ10 research to the applied and clinical ones.

The titles of the papers are listed below.

Readers interested in receiving a copy of this special issue can contact the office in Ancona at: g.littarru@univpm.it

Frederick L. Crane

The Evolution of Coenzyme Q

Tomoko Ohnishi, S. Tsuyoshi Ohnishi, Kyoko Shinzawa-Ito and Shinya Yoshikawa

Functional Role of Coenzyme Q in the Energy Coupling Mechanism of Mitochondrial NADH-CoQ Oxidoreductase (Complex I): Stabilization of the Semiquinone State in Proteoliposomes by the Inside-Positive Membrane Potential

Golam Mustafa, Yoshinori Ishikawa, Kazuo Kobayashi, Catharina T. Migita, Seiichi Tagawa3 and Mamoru Yamada

Function of a bound ubiquinone in Escherichia coli quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase

Romana Fato, Christian Bergamini, Serena Leoni and Giorgio Lenaz

Mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species: role of complex I and quinone ananlogues

Isuke Imada, Yukimi Kira, Eisuke F Sato, Masayasu Inoue
Effect of CoQ homologues on reactive oxygen generation by mitochondrial complex I

Kazuo Mukai, Aiko Tokunaga, Shingo Itoh, Yu Kanesaki, Aya Ouchi, Keishi Ohara, Shin-ichi Nagaoka, and Kouichi Abe

Comparison between the free-radical-scavenging activities with vitamin E and ubiquinol in biological systems based on the reaction rates

Takayuki Takahashi, Masaaki Okuno, Tadashi Okamoto  and Takeo Kishi

NADPH-dependent coenzyme Q reductase is the main enzyme responsible for the reduction of non-mitochondrial CoQ in cells

Francesca Bruge’, Samantha Virgili, Tiziana Cacciamani, Federica Principi, Luca Tiano and Gian Paolo Littarru

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) loss of function in Burkitt’s lymphoma cell lines.

Lars Gille, Werner Stamberg, Wolfgang Gregor, Walter Jäger, Gottfried Reznicek, Thomas Netscher, Thomas Rosenau and Hans Nohl

Ubichromanol: A Prodrug to Support Mitochondrial Ubiquinone Functions?

Mei Zhang, Shusho Wakitani, Kazuhiro Hayashi, Risa Miki, and Makoto Kawamukai

High production of sulfide in coenzyme Q deficient fission yeast

Magnus Bentinger, Michael Tekle Kerstin Brismar, Tadeusz Chojnacki, Ewa Swiezewska and Gustav Dallner

Stimulation of coenzyme Q synthesis

C.M. Quinzii, L.C. Lopez, A. Naini, S. DiMauro and  M. Hirano

Human CoQ10 deficiencies

P. H. Langsjoen and A.M. Langsjoen

Supplemental ubiquinol in patients with advanced congestive heart failure

R. Belardinelli, L. Tiano and G. P. Littarru.

Oxidative Stress, Endothelial function and Coenzyme Q10.

R.Vargiu, G. P. Littarru, G. Faa and R. Mancinelli.

Positive inotropic effect of Coenzyme Q10, Omega-3 fatty acids and Propionyl-L-carnitine on papillary muscle force-frequency responses of BIO TO-2 cardiomyopathic Syrian hamsters.

K. Adarsh , H. Kaur and V. Mohan

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in isolated diastolic heart failure in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)

P. Sachdanandam

Antiangiogenic and Hypolipidemic activity of CoenzymeQ10 supplementation to breast cancer patients undergoing Tamoxifen therapy

L. Tiano, L. Padella, P. Carnevali, O. Gabrielli, F. Bruge, F. Principi and G.P. Littarru.

Coenzyme Q10 and oxidative imbalance in Down syndrome. Biochemical and clinical aspects

G. Li, C. R. Jack, X.-F. Yang and E. S. Yang

Diet Supplement CoQ10 Delays Brain Atrophy in Transgenic Aged Mice with Mutations in the Amyloid Precursor Protein: An in Vivo Volume MRI Study

C. Schmelzer, I. Lindner, G. Rimbach, P. Niklowitz, T. Menke and F. Döring1

Functions of Coenzyme Q10 in Inflammation and Gene Expression

E. Teran, P. Chedraui, M. Racines-Orbe, S. Vivero, F. Villena, F. Duchicela, L. Nacevilla, G. Schwager, and A. Calle

Coenzyme Q10 levels in women with preeclampsia living at different altitudes

D. Haas, P. Niklowitz, G. F. Hoffmann, W. Andler, and T. Menke

Plasma and thrombocyte levels of coenzyme Q10 in children with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) and the influence of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

T. Hidaka, K. Fujii, I. Funahashi, N. Fukutomi and K. Hosoe

Safety Assessment of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

K. Nukui, T. Yamagishi, H. Miyawaki, A. Kettawan, T. Okamoto, R. Belardinelli, L. Tiano, G.P. Littarru and K. Sato

Blood CoQ10 levels and safety profile after single-dose or chronic administration of PureSorb-QTM40: Animal and human studies.

D. M. Morré, D. J. Morré. W. Rehmus and D. Kern

Supplementation with CoQ10 lowers age-related (ar) NOX levels in healthy subjects

D. J. Morre and D. M. Morré

arNOX  activity of saliva as a non-invasive measure of coenzyme Q10 response in human trials

M. Inui, M. Ooe, K. Omura, K. Fujii and M. Ichihashi

Mechanisms of inhibitory effects of CoQ10 on UVB-induced wrinkle formation in vitro and in vivo

S. Prahl, T. Kueper, T. Biernoth, Y. Wöhrmann, A. Münster, M. Fürstenau, M. Schmidt, C. Schulze, K.-P. Wittern, H. Wenck, G.-M. Muhr and T. Blatt

Aging skin is functionally anaerobic – importance of coenzyme Q10 for anti aging skin care

S. Bompadre, S. Tulipani, S. Romandini, R. Giorgetti and M. Battino

Improved HPLC column-switching determination of coenzyme Q and vitamin E in plasma

M. C. Ramirez-Tortosa, S. Granados, C. L. Ramirez-Tortosa, J. J. Ochoa, P. Camacho, L. García-Valdés, M. Battino and J. L. Quiles

Oxidative stress status in liver mitochondria and lymphocyte DNA damage of atherosclerotic rabbits supplemented with water soluble coenzyme Q10