Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and green tea on plasma and liver lipids, platelet aggregation, TBARS production and erythrocyte Na leak in simvastatin treated hypercholesterolmic rats

Herbs with anti-lipid effects and their interactions with statins as a chemical anti- hyperlipidemia group drugs: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The present systematic review aimed to express the clinical anti-lipid effects of different types of herbs, as well as described studied interactions between herbal remedies and prescribed drugs for hyperlipidemic patients which were based on in vitro experiments, animal studies, and empirical clinical experiences.

METHODS

For this systematic review, we explored 2183 published papers about herbal drugs interactions from November 1967 to August 2014, fulfilling eligibility criteria by searching in some databases such as Web of Science, Medline, Scopus, Embase, Cinahl, and the Cochrane database. The main keywords used for searching included: herbal medicine, herbs, statin, lipid, and herb-drug interaction.

RESULTS

Among published articles about herb-drug interactions, 185 papers met the initial search criteria and among them, 92 papers were potentially retrievable including a description of 17 herbs and medicinal plants. In first step and by reviewing all published manuscripts on beneficial effects of herbs on serum lipids level, 17 herbs were described to be effective on lipid profile as lowering serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as increasing serum high-density lipoprotein level. Some herbs such as celery could even affect the hepatic triglyceride concentrations. The herbal reaction toward different types of statins is varied so that grapefruit or pomegranate was interacted with only some types of statins, but not with all statin types. In this context, administration of herbal materials can lead to decreased absorption of statins or decreased the plasma concentration of these drugs.

CONCLUSION

Various types of herbs can potentially reduce serum lipid profile with the different pathways; however, the herb-drug interactions may decrease pharmacological therapeutic effects of anti-hyperlipidemic drugs that should be considered when approved herbs are prescribed.

Antiatherogenic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic effects of coenzyme Q10 in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus, one of the leading metabolic syndromes, accounts for highest morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, we examined possible protective effect of coenzyme Q10 on lipid profile, atherogenic index, and liver enzyme markers in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats.

METHODS

A total of 30 male rats were randomly divided into three groups; group 1 as control, group 2 diabetic untreatment, and group 3 treatments with coenzyme Q10 by 15 mg/kg i.p. daily, respectively .Diabetes was induced in the second and third groups by alloxan injection subcutaneously. After 8 weeks, the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), atherogenic index, atherogenic coefficient, cardiac risk ratio, and the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of all groups were analyzed. Data were analyzed using non-parametric Mann-Whitney test (using SPSS) and P < 0.05 was considered as significant.

RESULTS

Coenzyme Q10 inhibited significantly the activities of ALT (11.17%), AST (19.35%) and ALP (36.67%) and decreased FBG (21.19%), TG (37.24%), TC (17.15%), LDL (30.44%), VLDL (37.24%), atherogenic index (44.24%), atherogenic coefficient (49.69%), and cardiac risk ratio (37.97%), HDL level was significantly (33.38%) increased when treated with coenzyme Q10.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that coenzyme Q10 exert beneficial effects on the lipid profile, atherogenic index, and liver enzymes activity in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats.

Amelioration of altered antioxidant enzymes activity and glomerulosclerosis by coenzyme Q10 in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Coenzyme Q10 is a natural antioxidant and scavenging free radicals. In the present study, we examined antioxidative activities of coenzyme Q10 and possible protective effect of coenzyme Q10 on in vivo and in vitro lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes activity and glomerulosclerosis in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats. Thirty Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into three groups randomly: group 1 as control, group 2 as diabetic untreatment, and group 3 as treatments with coenzyme Q10 by 15 mg/kg i.p. daily, respectively. Diabetes was induced in the second and third groups by alloxan injection subcutaneously. After 8 weeks, animals were anaesthetized, liver and kidney were then removed immediately and used fresh or kept frozen until their lipid peroxidation analysis. Blood samples were also collected before killing to measure the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes activity. Kidney paraffin sections were prepared and stained by periodic acid-Schiff method. Glomerular volume and leukocyte infiltration were estimated by stereological rules and glomerular sclerosis was studied semi-quantitatively. Coenzyme Q10 significantly inhibited leukocyte infiltration, glomerulosclerosis and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) serum and kidney content in treated group compared with the diabetic untreated group. Coenzyme Q10 significantly inhibited LDL oxidation in vitro. Coenzyme Q10 significantly increased the serum levels of glutathione (GSH) and serum activity of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in treated group compared with the diabetic untreated group. Coenzyme Q10 alleviates leukocyte infiltration and glomerulosclerosis and exerts beneficial effects on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes activity in alloxan-induced type 1 diabetic rats.

Effect of coenzyme Q10 and Ardisia japonica Blume on plasma and liver lipids, platelet aggregation, and erythrocyte Na efflux channels in simvastatin-treated guinea pigs

Forty guinea pigs were divided into four groups and fed 0.04% cholesterol based control diet, plus 0.05% simvastatin, and statin plus 0.1% CoQ10 or 10% Ardisia Japonica Blume (AJB) leave powder for 4 weeks. Plasma total cholesterol levels decreased significantly in all groups fed the statin-containing diet compared with that in guinea pigs fed the control diet (P < 0.01). Plasma and liver triglycerides decreased significantly in the statin plus CoQ10 group compared with those in the control (both P < 0.05). Maximum platelet aggregation was significantly higher in the statin plus CoQ10 group than that in the other groups (P < 0.05). Na-K ATPase activity increased in the statin group and decreased in the statin plus CoQ10 group (P < 0.01). Na-K co-transport and Na passive transport decreased significantly in the control group compared with those in the other groups (both P < 0.05). Intracellular Na was highest in the statin group and lowest in the statin plus CoQ10 group and was correlated with Na-K ATPase activity. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance production in platelet-rich plasma and liver tended to decrease in the statin plus CoQ10 group compared with those in the other groups. Plasma glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase increased significantly in the statin group compared with those in the control (P < 0.05). These result suggest that antioxidant rich AJB did not have positive effects on cardiovascular disease parameters. The statin plus CoQ10 seemed to decrease cholesterol more efficiently than that of statin alone.