Affiliations: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II,
Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INYTA), University of Granada,
Granada, Spain | Complejo Hospitalario Ciudad de Jaén, Jaén,
Spain | Department of Physiology, INYTA, University of
Granada, Granada, Spain | Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine,
Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. M. Carmen Ramirez-Tortosa,
Departamento de Bioquimica y Biología Molecular II, Instituto de
Nutrición y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad de Granada, C/
Ramón y Cajal 4, 18071 Granada, Spain. Tel.: +34 958248324; Fax: +34 958
248326; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The effects of the administration of water soluble coenzyme Q_{10}
(25 mg/kg per day) over 30 days, after 50 days feeding on a high-fat diet
(3% lard + 1.3% cholesterol), were investigated in the plasma and liver
mitochondria of rabbits. Results showed that this atherogenic diet enhanced
lipid levels both in plasma and liver mitochondria, reduced plasma and
mitochondrial concentrations of retinol and coenzyme Q_{10}, led to higher
DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes and reactive oxygen species
concentration in liver mitochondria. The treatment of animals with coenzyme
Q_{10} reduced (to the healthy group levels) lipid concentration in liver
mitochondria with no effect on plasma lipids, increased mitochondrial levels of
α-tocopherol, restored mitochondrial coenzyme Q_{10} and improved
α-tocopherol levels in plasma. Moreover, coenzyme Q_{10}
supplementation reduced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels and
decreased DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The findings suggest that
antioxidant therapy with coenzyme Q_{10} may be used in the treatment of
liver pathologies associated to the intake of high-fat, atherogenic, diets.
Keywords: Comet assay, dichlorofluorescein, DNA strand breaks, high fat diet, retinol, tocopherol, ubiquinone, vitamin A, vitamin E
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 32, no. 1-4, pp. 263-273, 2008
