Coenzyme Q10 protects retinal cells against oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the neuroprotective effects of coenzyme Q10 and/or a vitamin E analogue on retinal damage both in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
We employed cultured retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5, a rat ganglion cell-line transformed using E1A virus) in vitro. Cell damage was induced by 24-h hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure, and cell viability was measured using tetrazolium salt (WST-8). To examine the retinal damage induced by intravitreal N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) injection in mice in vivo, coenzyme Q10 at 10 mg/kg with or without alpha-tocopherol at 10 mg/kg was administered orally (p.o.) each day for 14 days, with NMDA being intravitreally injected on day 7 of this course.


RESULTS
In RGC-5, a combination of coenzyme Q10 and trolox, a water-soluble vitamin E analogue (a derivative of alpha-tocopherol), prevented cell damage more effectively than either agent alone. Coenzyme Q10 and alpha-tocopherol (separately or together) reduced the retinal damage, number of TUNEL-positive cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL), and 4-hydroxyl-2-nonenal (4-HNE) expression induced by NMDA in mice in vivo.


CONCLUSIONS
Coenzyme Q10 and/or these vitamin E analogues exert neuroprotective effects against retinal damage both in vitro and in vivo.
Nakajima
Yoshimi
Y
Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Molecular Pharmacology, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 5-6-1 Mitahora-higashi, Gifu 502-8585, Japan.
Inokuchi
Yuta
Y
Nishi
Masahiro
M
Shimazawa
Masamitsu
M
Otsubo
Kazumasa
K
Hara
Hideaki
H
D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002839:Chromans / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D004347:Drug Interactions; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity; D016877:Oxidants / Q000633:toxicity; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000447:Aldehydes; D000975:Antioxidants; D002839:Chromans; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D016877:Oxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D014451:Ubiquinone; D014810:Vitamin E; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; C024989:coenzyme Q10; C027576:4-hydroxy-2-nonenal; C010643:6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid