X-Message-Number: 27661
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 20:26:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: coenzyme Q10 is a dud at life extension

Free Radic Biol Med. 2006 Feb 1;40(3):480-7. Epub 2005 Nov 9.
Effect of coenzyme Q(10) intake on endogenous coenzyme Q content,
mitochondrial electron transport chain, antioxidative defenses, and life
span of mice.
    The main purpose of this study was to determine whether intake of
coenzyme Q(10), which can potentially act as both an antioxidant and a
prooxidant, has an impact on indicators of oxidative stress and the aging
process. Mice were fed diets providing daily supplements of 0, 93, or 371
mg CoQ(10)/kg body weight, starting at 3.5 months of age. Effects on
mitochondrial superoxide generation, activities of oxidoreductases,
protein oxidative damage, glutathione redox state, and life span of male
mice were determined. Amounts of CoQ(9) and CoQ(10), measured after 3.5
or 17.5 months of intake, in homogenates and mitochondria of liver, heart,
kidney, skeletal muscle, and brain increased with the dosage and duration
of CoQ(10) intake in all the tissues except brain. Activities of
mitochondrial electron transport chain oxidoreductases, rates of
mitochondrial O(2) generation, state 3 respiration, carbonyl content,
glutathione redox state of tissues, and activities of superoxide
dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, determined at 19 or 25
months of age, were unaffected by CoQ(10) administration. Life span
studies, conducted on 50 mice in each group, showed that CoQ(10)
administration had no effect on mortality. Altogether, the results
indicated that contrary to the historical view, supplemental intake of
CoQ(10) elevates the endogenous content of both CoQ(9) and CoQ(10), but
has no discernable effect on the main antioxidant defenses or prooxidant
generation in most tissues, and has no impact on the life span of mice.

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