Prolonged Intake of Coenzyme Q^sub 10^ Impairs Cognitive Functions in Mice1-3

Coenzyme Q^sub 10^ (CoQ^sub 10^) is widely consumed as a dietary supplement to enhance bioenergetic capacity and to ameliorate the debilitative effects of the aging process or certain pathological conditions. Our main purpose in this study was to determine whether CoQ^sub 10^ intake does indeed atte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Journal of nutrition Vol. 139; no. 10; p. 1926
Main Authors Sumien, Nathalie, Heinrich, Kevin R, Shetty, Ritu A, Sohal, Rajindar S, ster, Michael J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bethesda American Institute of Nutrition 01.10.2009
Subjects
Age
Aging
Animal cognition
Diet
Heart failure
Laboratory animals
Physical fitness
Studies
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Summary:Coenzyme Q^sub 10^ (CoQ^sub 10^) is widely consumed as a dietary supplement to enhance bioenergetic capacity and to ameliorate the debilitative effects of the aging process or certain pathological conditions. Our main purpose in this study was to determine whether CoQ^sub 10^ intake does indeed attenuate the age-associated losses in motor, sensory, and cognitive functions or decrease the rate of mortality in mice. Mice were fed a control nonpurified diet or that diet containing 0.68 mg/g (low dosage) or 2.6 mg/g (high dosage) CoQ^sub 10^, starting at 4 mo of age, and were tested for sensory, motor, and cognitive function at 7, 15, and 25 mo of age. Amounts of the ubiquinols CoQ^sub 9^H^sub 2^ and CoQ^sub 10^H^sub 2^ measured in a parallel study were augmented in the cerebral cortex but not in any other region of the brain. Intake of the low-CoQ^sub 10^ diet did not affect age-associated decrements in muscle strength, balance, coordinated running, or learning/memory, whereas intake at the higher amount increased spontaneous activity, worsened the age-related losses in acuity to auditory and shock stimuli, and impaired the spatial learning/memory of old mice. The CoQ^sub 10^ diets did not affect survivorship of mice through 25 mo of age. Our results suggest that prolonged intake of CoQ^sub 10^ in low amounts has no discernable impact on cognitive and motor functions whereas intake at higher amounts exacerbates cognitive and sensory impairments encountered in old mice. These findings do not support the notion that CoQ^sub 10^ is a fitness-enhancing or an "antiaging" substance under normal physiological conditions. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0022-3166
1541-6100