X-Message-Number: 27693
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:20:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: Coenzyme Q10 increases lifespan in Huntington's disease mice

[Finally, coenzyme Q10 succeeds in prolonging lifespan!]

Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006 Mar;1762(3):373-80. Epub 2005 Dec 5.
Combination therapy using minocycline and coenzyme Q10 in R6/2
transgenic Huntington's disease mice.
  Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder
of genetic origin with no known therapeutic intervention that can
slow or halt disease progression. Transgenic murine models of HD
have significantly improved the ability to assess potential
therapeutic strategies. The R6/2 murine model of HD, which
recapitulates many aspects of human HD, has been used extensively
in pre-clinical HD therapeutic treatment trials. Of several
potential therapeutic candidates, both minocycline and coenzyme Q10
(CoQ10) have been demonstrated to provide significant improvement
in the R6/2 mouse. Given the specific cellular targets of each
compound, and the broad array of abnormalities thought to underlie
HD, we sought to assess the effects of combined minocycline and
CoQ10 treatment in the R6/2 mouse. Combined minocycline and CoQ10
therapy provided an enhanced beneficial effect, ameliorating
behavioral and neuropathological alterations in the R6/2 mouse.
Minocycline and CoQ10 treatment significantly extended survival and
improved rotarod performance to a greater degree than either
minocycline or CoQ10 alone. In addition, combined minocycline and
CoQ10 treatment attenuated gross brain atrophy, striatal neuron
atrophy, and huntingtin aggregation in the R6/2 mice relative to
individual treatment. These data suggest that combined minocycline
and CoQ10 treatment may offer therapeutic benefit to patients
suffering from HD.

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