Effect of co-enzyme Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid on response of rabbit urinary bladder to repetitive stimulation and in vitro ischemia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and alpha-lipoic acid (alpha-LA), either alone or in combination, to protect the contractile responses of the rabbit urinary bladder from damage caused by repetitive stimulation in the presence or absence of in vitro ischemia.


METHODS
Four groups of New Zealand white rabbits (4 per group) were treated with vehicle (group 1), CoQ10 (group 2), alpha-LA (group 3), or CoQ10 plus alpha-LA (group 4) for 2 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, eight longitudinal strips from each rabbit bladder body were placed in oxygenated Tyrode's solution with glucose (normal physiologic medium). The strips were stimulated by field stimulation, carbachol, and KCl, and the responses were recorded. One half of the strips were switched for 1 hour to Tyrode's solution with no glucose equilibrated with nitrogen (ischemia medium). Simultaneously, all strips were subjected to 1 h of repetitive field stimulation followed by 1 hour of recovery in normal physiologic medium, and the responses to all stimuli were recorded again.


RESULTS
CoQ10 showed no protective effect. Alpha-LA resulted in increased contractile responses of the control bladder and showed a moderate protective effect for all forms of stimulation. The combination, however, showed a significantly greater increase in the contraction of the control bladder and a greater protective effect than alpha-LA alone.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of alpha-LA and CoQ10 treatment enhanced the contractile response in normal medium and diminished the contractile dysfunction induced by repetitive field stimulation and ischemia.
Lin
Wei-Yu
WY
Division of Urology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan.
Rehfuss
Alexandra
A
Schuler
Catherine
C
Levin
Robert M
RM
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D045222:Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007511:Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D045222:Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins; D014451:Ubiquinone; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D002217:Carbachol; C024989:coenzyme Q10