title: Effect of coenzyme Q10 on the mitochondrial function of skin fibroblasts from Parkinson patients.
abstract: Several lines of evidence suggest an impairment of mitochondrial function in the brain of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the presence of a detectable mitochondrial defect in extracerebral tissue of these patients remains a matter of dispute. Therefore, we investigated mitochondrial function in fibroblasts of 18 PD patients applying biochemical micromethods. Putative beneficial effects of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)), a potent antioxidant, on the mitochondrial function of skin fibroblast cultures were evaluated. Applying inhibitor titrations of the mitochondrial respiration to calculate flux control coefficients of respiratory chain complexes I and IV, we observed deficiencies of both complexes in cultivated skin fibroblasts of PD patients. Cultivation of fibroblasts in the presence of 5 microM CoQ(10) restored the activity of impaired respiratory chain complexes in the fibroblast cultures of 9 out of 18 PD patients. Our data support the presence of a generalised mitochondrial defect in at least a subgroup of patients with PD that can be partially ameliorated in vitro by coenzyme Q(10) treatment.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Neurologie der Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Winkler-Stuck
authors.forename: Falk R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Wiedemann
authors.forename: Claus-W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wallesch
authors.forename: Wolfram S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kunz
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000654:Amobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003067:Coenzymes; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009243:NAD / Q000494:pharmacology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D003067:Coenzymes; D009243:NAD; D014451:Ubiquinone; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D000654:Amobarbital; D010100:Oxygen