Effect of coenzyme Q7 on citric acid metabolism in scurvy

Effect of premedication of coenzyme Q10 on pancreozymin-induced pancreatic secretion in rats

Effect of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential coenzyme in oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria, was studied in the rat's pancreas. A dose of pancreozymin (0.2 u/100 g body wt) was injected into the femoral vein at 20 min intervals. The initial injection produced a definite increase in amylase output and the pancreatic juice flow. Subsequent injections, however, caused smaller responses than the preceding (tachyphylaxis). When CoQ10 (3 mg/100 g body wt) had been administrated 1 hour prior to the initial stimulation, both the amylase output and the rate of juice flow were significantly enhanced: the tachyphylaxis almost disappeared. Effect of CoQ10 was also observed in the isolated and perfused pancreas. CoQ10 produced slight increase in pancreozymin-induced amylase output, but the increase was not significant. The effect of CoQ10, to increase the pancreatic blood flow, seems to be involved in the in situ effect of CoQ10 in cooperation with the direct effect on pancreatic acinar cells.

Study of CoQ10-enzymes in gingiva from patients with periodontal disease and evidence for a deficiency of coenzyme Q10

The specific activities of both the succinate dehydrogenase-coenzyme Q(10) reductase and the DPNH-cytochrome c reductase [NADH:(acceptor)oxidoreductase, EC 1.6.99.3] were determined in mitochondria from 40 diseased gingival biopsies from patients with periodontal disease and from 24 control biopsies from nondiseased areas (clinically evaluated) of gingival tissues from the same mouths of the patients from whom the diseased gingival tissues were taken. The control tissue was taken during normal surgical procedures, such as for gingival recontouring and tuberosity removal. The diseased gingival biopsies showed a mean specific activity for the succinate dehydrogenase-coenzyme Q(10) reductase which was higher (P < 0.02) than that of the control biopsies, and which increased (P < 0.01) when the assays utilized exogenous coenzyme Q(3), and corresponded to an average deficiency of coenzyme Q(10)-enzyme activity of 35%. About 60% of the 40 diseased gingival tissues showed a deficiency of coenzyme Q(10) at its site in this succinate-coenzyme Q(10) enzyme. Of the 24 control tissues, 20% showed deficiencies of coenzyme Q(10). As a group, the control tissues showed no deficiency of coenzyme Q(10). No deficiency of coenzyme Q(10) at its site in DPNH-cytochrome c reductase was observed for either the control or diseased gingival tissues, as groups or individually.

Deficiency of coenzyme Q 10 in gingival tissue from patients with periodontal disease

The specific activities of the succinate dehydrogenase-coenzyme Q(10) reductase in gingival tissue from patients with periodontal disease have been compared with the corresponding specific activities of normal human periodontal tissue. The gingival biopsies from patients having diseased periodontal tissue showed a deficiency of coenzyme Q(10), in contrast to those of the normal periodontal tissue which showed no deficiency. The presence or absence of a deficiency of coenzyme Q(10) in the succinate-coenzyme Q(10) enzyme system is appraised by determining the specific activity in the absence and again in the presence of exogenous coenzyme Q(3). An increase in specific activity of this mitochondrial enzyme system in the presence of exogenous coenzyme Q(3) reflects the mitochondrial deficiency of coenzyme Q(10). Such increases ranged from 38-120% and averaged 81% for the individuals with periodontal disease, and were highly significant statistically. These data correlate with clinical studies in Japan that have indicated a therapeutic benefit of the administration of coenzyme Q(7) to many patients with severe and destructive periodontal disease and with the benefit of administration of hexahydrocoenzyme Q(4) to one such patient in the current work.

Effect of coenzyme Q on blood-citrate and calcium levels and on the periodontium of citrated rats

Severe osteoporosis and some myelofibrosis of the alveolar bone developed in rats fed a citrate diet. The administration of coenzyme Q7 alleviated these histopathologic effects. It was also demonstrated that hypercitricemia with hypercalcemia found in the citrated rats were significantly restored to normal levels by coenzyme Q, administration.