Effects of coenzyme Q10 and alpha-tocopherol administration on their tissue levels in the mouse: elevation of mitochondrial alpha-tocopherol by coenzyme Q10.
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) was previously demonstrated in vitro to indirectly act as an antioxidant in respiring mitochondria by regenerating alpha-tocopherol from its phenoxyl radical. The objective of this study was to determine whether CoQ has a similar sparing effect on alpha-tocopherol in vivo. Mice were administered CoQ10 (123 mg/kg/day) alone, or alpha-tocopherol (200 mg/kg/day) alone, or both, for 13 weeks, after which the amounts of CoQ10, CoQ9 and alpha-tocopherol were determined by HPLC in the serum as well as homogenates and mitochondria of liver, kidney, heart, upper hindlimb skeletal muscle and brain. Administration of CoQ10 and alpha-tocopherol, alone or together, increased the corresponding levels of CoQ10 and alpha-tocopherol in the serum. Supplementation with CoQ10 also elevated the amounts of the predominant homologue CoQ9 in the serum and the mitochondria. A notable effect of CoQ10 intake was the enhancement of alpha-tocopherol in mitochondria. alpha-Tocopherol administration resulted in an elevation of alpha-tocopherol content in the homogenates of nearly all tissues and their mitochondria. Results of this study thus indicate that relatively long-term administration of CoQ10 or alpha-tocopherol can result in an elevation of their concentrations in the tissues of the mouse. More importantly, CoQ10 intake has a sparing effect on alpha-tocopherol in mitochondria in vivo.
Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA.
A
A
Lass
M J
MJ
Forster
R S
RS
Sohal
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014451:Ubiquinone; D014810:Vitamin E