Affiliations: Department of Psychology, Franklin & Marshall
College, Lancaster, PA, USA | University of Connecticut School of Medicine,
Farmington, CT, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C.,
257 East Center Street, Manchester, CT 06040, USA. Tel.: +1 860 643 5101; Fax:
+1 860 533 9747; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: To explore the possibility that Coenzyme Q_{10}
(CoQ_{10}) supplementation stabilizes psychomotor behavioral
function in the aging organism, the behavioral effects of
CoQ_{10} were evaluated in young adult male C57BL/6 mice (3
months of age) and aged C57BL/6 mice (24 months of age). Mice treated with
CoQ_{10} exhibited significantly greater locomotor activity
as reflected by an increase in square crosses than non-drug controls. The
administration of CoQ_{10} increased all aspects of
exploratory behavior in the open field. The effect was uniform across all mice
and did not interact with age. Younger animals and aged animals treated with
CoQ_{10} may adapt rapidly to novel areas, or they are less
fearful of exploration. The behavioral activation observed in
CoQ_{10} treated mice may be the result of increased
locomotor activity, psychomotor stimulation, or decreased anxiety.
