Coenzyme Q10 in patients undergoing CABG: Effect of statins and nutritional supplementation.
BACKGROUND
The hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are effective cholesterol lowering medications, however, statins may interfere with CoQ(10) biosynthesis. We examined the effect of statin therapy as well as nutritional supplements on plasma, cardiac and skeletal muscle concentrations of CoQ(10).


METHODS
Forty patients with left ventricular dysfunction had fasting blood samples collected at baseline and following four weeks of supplementation (150mg/day of CoQ(10)). Cardiac and skeletal muscle biopsies were collected at the time of surgery and frozen in liquid nitrogen until analyzed for CoQ(10) levels by high performance liquid chromatography.


RESULTS
Nutrient supplementation significantly increased plasma [(1.8 (1.2, 2.7) vs 0.8 (0.6, 0.94) mug/ml plasma, median+IQR; p=0.001)] and cardiac tissue concentrations of CoQ(10) [(120.5 (76.5, 177.1) vs 87.3 (60.5, 110.8) nmol/g wet weight, p=0.04)]. No effect of supplementation was seen on samples of skeletal muscle from the chest wall. Statin therapy was not found to influence plasma, cardiac or chest wall levels of CoQ(10).


CONCLUSIONS
Nutrient supplementation significantly increased plasma and cardiac tissue levels of CoQ(10) but did not influence chest wall muscle concentrations. Statin therapy did not significantly influence tissue concentrations of CoQ(10). Longer term studies are needed to confirm this observation.
Keith
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M
Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mazer
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CD
Mikhail
P
P
Jeejeebhoy
F
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Briet
F
F
Errett
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L
D000368:Aged; D003067:Coenzymes / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000601:surgery; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation
D003067:Coenzymes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D014451:Ubiquinone; C024989:coenzyme Q10