title: Renal preservation effect of ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the renal preservation effect of ubiquinol, the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-week-old heminephrectomized male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups (10 animals each): diet with normal (0.3%) salt, high (8%) salt, and high salt plus 600 mg/kg body weight/day of ubiquinol, for 4 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), urinary albumin (u-alb), superoxide anion generation (lucigenin chemiluminescence) and ubiquinol levels in renal tissues were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salt loading increased SBP (111.0 ± 3.6 vs. 169.4 ± 14.3 mmHg, p < 0.01) and u-alb (43.8 ± 28.0 vs. 2528.7 ± 1379.0 µg/day, p < 0.02). These changes were associated with stimulation of superoxide generation in the kidney (866.3 ± 102.8 vs. 2721.4 ± 973.3 RLU/g kidney, p < 0.01). However, ubiquinol decreased SBP (143.9 ± 29.0 mmHg, p < 0.05), u-alb (256.1 ± 122.1 µg/day, p < 0.02), and renal superoxide production (877.8 ± 195.6 RLU/g kidney, p < 0.01), associated with an increase in renal ubiquinol levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ubiquinol, the reduced form of CoQ10, effectively ameliorates renal function, probably due to its antioxidant effect. Thus, ubiquinol may be a candidate for the treatment of patients with kidney disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. ishikawaa-uro@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawarazaki
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Homma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D014451:Ubiquinone; C024989:coenzyme Q10; C003741:ubiquinol