title: Effect of coenzyme Q₁₀ on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Spinal cord ischemia remains a serious complication of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Coenzyme Q10, a potent antioxidant, has been reported to exert a neuroprotective effect. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of coenzyme Q10 pretreatment on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either 300 mg/kg coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 group, n = 12) or saline (control and sham groups, n = 12 for each group) for 5 days before ischemia. Spinal cord ischemia was induced in the control and CoQ10 groups. Neurological function was assessed using the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) motor rating scale until 7 days after reperfusion, and then the spinal cord was harvested for histopathological examinations and an evaluation of malondialdehyde level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On post-reperfusion Day 1, the CoQ10 group showed higher BBB scores compared with those in the control group, although the difference was not significant. However, on Day 2, the CoQ10 group showed a significantly higher BBB score than the control group (14.0 [10.3-15.0] vs 8.0 [5.0-9.8], median [IQR], respectively; p = 0.021), and this trend was maintained until Day 7 (17.5 [16.0-18.0] vs 9.0 [6.5-12.8], respectively; p < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the CoQ10 group had more normal motor neurons (p = 0.003), fewer apoptotic changes (p = 0.003) and a lower level of tissue malondialdehyde (p = 0.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment with 300 mg/kg coenzyme Q10 resulted in significantly improved neurological function and preservation of more normal motor neurons.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center; and.
authors: Jin-Young
authors: JY
authors: Hwang
authors: Seong-Won
authors: SW
authors: Min
authors: Young-Tae
authors: YT
authors: Jeon
authors: Jung-Won
authors: JW
authors: Hwang
authors: Sang-Heon
authors: SH
authors: Park
authors: Jin-Hee
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Sung-Hee
authors: SH
authors: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011292:Premedication; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014451:Ubiquinone; C024989:coenzyme Q10
keywords: BBB = Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan; CoQ10 = coenzyme Q10; H & E = hematoxylin and eosin; IQR = interquartile range; MDA = malondialdehyde; PBS = phosphate-buffered saline; ROS = reactive oxygen species; TUNEL = TdT–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling; TdT = terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase; coenzyme Q10; spinal cord injury; spinal cord ischemia; thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm surgery