title: Hormonal influence on coenzyme Q(10) levels in blood plasma.
abstract: Coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)), also known as ubiquinone for its presence in all body cells, is an essential part of the cell energy-producing system. However, it is also a powerful lipophilic antioxidant protecting lipoproteins and cell membranes. Due to these two actions, CoQ(10) is commonly used in clinical practice in chronic heart failure, male infertility, and neurodegenerative disease. However, it is also taken as an anti-aging substance by healthy people aiming for long-term neuroprotection and by sportsmen to improve endurance. Many hormones are known to be involved in body energy regulation, in terms of production, consumption and dissipation, and their influence on CoQ(10) body content or blood values may represent an important pathophysiological mechanism. We summarize the main findings of the literature about the link between hormonal systems and circulating CoQ(10) levels. In particular the role of thyroid hormones, directly involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis, is discussed. There is also a link with gonadal and adrenal hormones, partially due to the common biosynthetic pathway with CoQ(10), but also to the increased oxidative stress found in hypogonadism and hypoadrenalism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Gemelli, 1-00168 Rome, Italy. mancini.giac@mclink.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Festa
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raimondo
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pontecorvi
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Littarru
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D042341:Gonadal Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D042341:Gonadal Hormones; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014451:Ubiquinone; C024989:coenzyme Q10