Affiliations: Comenius University, Medical Faculty,
Pharmacobiochemical Laboratory, Bratislava, Slovakia | Research Base of Slovak Medical University, Institute
of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava, Slovakia
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Anna Gvozdjáková,
Comenius University, Medical Faculty, Pharmacobiochemical Laboratory,
Hlboká 7, 811 05 Bratislava, Slovakia. Tel./Fax: +421 2 5249 1422;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of respiratory
system, with disturbances in the dynamic balance of oxidant-antioxidant
capacity of the lungs. Long-term administration of corticosteroids has been
shown to result in mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage of
mitochondrial and nuclear DNAs. We previously documented decreased coenzyme
Q_{10} (CoQ_{10}) and α-tocopherol
concentrations in plasma and blood in corticosteroid-dependent bronchial asthma
patients. In the present study we demonstrate that CoQ_{10}
supplementation reduces the dosage of corticosteroids in these patients. Patients and methods: This was an open, cross-over, randomized
clinical study with 41 bronchial asthma patients (13 males, 28 females), ages
25–50 years. All patients suffered from persistent mild to moderate
asthma. The patients were divided into two groups, one group receiving standard
antiasthmatic therapy and clinically stabilized, and the second group
receiving, in addition, antioxidants consisting of CoQ_{10}
as Q-Gel® (120 mg) + 400 mg α-tocopherol + 250 mg vitamin C
a day. The groups were crossed over at 16 weeks for a total duration of 32
weeks. Results and conclusions: Data show that patients with
corticosteroid-dependent bronchial asthma have low plasma
CoQ_{10} concentrations that may contribute to their
antioxidant imbalance and oxidative stress. A reduction in the dosage of
corticosteroids required by the patients following antioxidant supplementation
was observed, indicating lower incidence of potential adverse effects of the
drugs, decreased oxidative stress. This study also demonstrates the significant
uptake of CoQ_{10} by lung tissue in a rat model using
hydrosoluble CoQ_{10} (Q-Gel®).
Keywords: Bronchial asthma, corticosteroids, coenzyme Q[TeX:] _{10}, oxidative stress, DNA
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 25, no. 1-4, pp. 235-240, 2005
