Is Coenzyme Q10 effective nyeth ?????
Coenzyme Q10
(ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, coenzyme Q, CoQ10, UQ) is an oil-soluble, vitamin-like
substance is present in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria.
It is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic
cellular respiration, generating energy in the form of ATP. Ninety-five percent
of the human body’s energy is generated this way. Therefore, those organs with the highest
energy requirements—such as the heart, liver and kidney—have the highest CoQ10
concentrations. There are three redox states of CoQ10: fully oxidized
(ubiquinone), semiquinone (ubisemiquinone), and fully reduced (ubiquinol). The
capacity of this molecule to exist in a completely oxidized form and a
completely reduced form enables it to perform its functions in the electron
transport chain, and as an antioxidant, respectively (Wikipedia).
Ubiquinone
Ubiquinone primarily because
of its anti-oxidant properties has been recommended for a variety of ills (heart
disease, Huntington disease, male infertility, migraines etc.) and as an
anti-aging supplement. As a health supplement it has global sales estimated to
amount to hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Though there was never a
strong report that suggested that CoQ10 improved patients’ condition but there
were any report that said otherwise.
To study how energy metabolism affects aging, the researchers
created the first strain of mice in which scientists are able to gradually
eliminate ubiquinone – and then to restore it at will to normal levels. Their salient findings published in Nature Communications are:
1. Loss of the UQ in the mice led to severe sickness and early death.
2. No signs of elevated oxidative damage to cell membranes or
DNA from free radicals were observed. Moreover, this unexpected lack of damage
didn’t stem from deployment of some other antioxidant strategies by the
animals.
3. Severe disease phenotypes and shortened lifespan are reversible upon partial restoration of UQ levels and mitochondrial function.
4. UQ does not act as antioxidant in vivo and that its requirement for electron transport is much lower than anticipated, even in vital mitochondria-rich organs.
Article citation: Wang, Y.; et. al. Mitochondrial function and lifespan of mice with controlled ubiquinone biosynthesis. Nature Communications, 2015 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7393
Even with CoQ10, still an old age hen ..........
