coenzyme-q10 and Brain-Diseases

Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone or CoQ10) is a lipid molecule that acts as an electron mobile carrier of the electron transport chain and also contains antioxidant properties. Supplementation of CoQ10 has been very useful to treat mitochondrial diseases. CoQ10 along with its synthetic analogue, idebenone, is used largely to treat various neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Friedreich's ataxia and additional brain disease condition like autism, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, depression, and bipolar disorder, which are related to mitochondrial impairment. In this article, we have reviewed numerous physiological functions of CoQ10 and the rationale for its use in clinical practice in different brain disorders.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Brain Diseases; Humans; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Ubiquinone

Progressive encephalopathy with brain edema and/or leukoencephalopathy-1 is an infantile, lethal neurometabolic disorder caused by a NAD(P)HX epimerase (NAXE) gene mutation. It is characterized by a fluctuating disease course with repeated episodes of improvement and regression. In this report, we present a rare case of NAXE gene mutation-related encephalopathy with unexpected neurological recovery and long survival time.. A 20-month-old girl presented with progressively unsteady gait and bilateral hand tremors after a trivial febrile illness. Her disease rapidly progressed to consciousness disturbance, 4-limb weakness (muscle power: 1/5 on the Medical Research Council scale), and respiratory failure. The patient gradually recovered 2 months later. However, another episode of severe fever-induced encephalopathy developed 2 years after the initial presentation.. Results of laboratory investigations, including complete blood count, blood chemistry, inflammatory markers, and cerebral spinal fluid analysis were unremarkable. Electroencephalography and nerve conduction velocity studies yielded normal results. Brain magnetic resonance imaging on diffusion-weighted imaging revealed abnormal sysmmetric hyperintensity in the bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles. A genetic study using whole exome sequencing confirmed the diagnosis of NAXE gene mutation-related encephalopathy.. Pulse therapy with methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin, coenzyme Q10, and carnitine were initially introduced. After a NAXE gene defect was detected, the vitamin B complex and coenzyme Q10 were administered. A continuous rehabilitation program was also implemented.. NAXE gene mutation-related encephalopathy is usually regarded as a lethal neurometabolic disorder. However, the outcome in this case is better than that in the previous cases. She showed progressive neurological recovery and a longer survival time. The muscle power of the 4 limbs recovered to grade 4. At present (age of 5.5 years old), she can walk with an unsteady gait and go to school.. Although NAXE gene mutation-related encephalopathy is rare, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis of early onset progressive encephalopathy.

Topics: Brain Diseases; Dietary Supplements; Exome Sequencing; Female; Humans; Infant; Racemases and Epimerases; Ubiquinone; Vitamin B Complex

Topics: Brain Diseases; Humans; Mutation; Renal Insufficiency; Retinal Diseases; Ubiquinone

Diabetic encephalopathy is an important complication of diabetes characterized by cognitive impairment, neurochemical and structural abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate the effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and niacin as well as their combination in the treatment of encephalopathy associated with streptozotocin (STZ)- induced diabetes in rats. Glibenclamide (reference diabetic drug) and donepezil hydrochloride (acetylcholinesterase inhibitor) were also evaluated. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg). One month after STZ injection, diabetic rats were treated with the aforementioned drugs for two weeks. The evaluation was done through measuring glucose level, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), interleukin 6 (IL6), DNA degradation as well as serotonin and noradrenaline as neurotransmitters. The present data illustrated that combining CoQ10 and niacin exhibiting the most potent effect in improving the measured parameters and ameliorating some of diabetes complications.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Blood Glucose; Brain Diseases; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Donepezil; Glyburide; Hypoglycemic Agents; Indans; Interleukin-6; Male; Neurotransmitter Agents; Niacin; Piperidines; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Ubiquinone; Vitamins

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia due to insulin inactivity or insufficiency with increasing risk of developing specific complications, including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), niacin, as well as their combination in ameliorating brain disorders associated with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats. Glibenclamide, a reference diabetic drug, and donepezil, an acetylcholine inhibitor drug, were also evaluated. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg body weight (b.wt)). One-month diabetic rats were treated with the selected drugs daily for another two consecutive weeks. The evaluation was done through the estimation of the levels of blood glucose, serum insulin, and oxidative stress markers: malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH); neurotransmitters: acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and dopamine (DA); vasoconstrictor indices: intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1), and angiotensin II (Ang II); and apoptosis markers: tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and caspase-3 as well as the histopathological picture of the cerebellum region of the brain. The results revealed that the combination of niacin and CoQ10 improved most of the measured parameters with variable degrees. In conclusion, niacin and CoQ10 are promising dietary supplements in the management of diabetic encephalopathy.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Brain Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Drug Therapy, Combination; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; Male; Niacin; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Ubiquinone; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; Vitamin B Complex

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deficiency is associated to a variety of clinical phenotypes including neuromuscular and nephrotic disorders. We report two unrelated boys presenting encephalopathy, ataxia, and lactic acidosis, who died with necrotic lesions in different areas of brain. Levels of CoQ10 and complex II+III activity were increased in both skeletal muscle and fibroblasts, but it was a consequence of higher mitochondria mass measured as citrate synthase. In fibroblasts, oxygen consumption was also increased, whereas steady state ATP levels were decreased. Antioxidant enzymes such as NQO1 and MnSOD and mitochondrial marker VDAC were overexpressed. Mitochondria recycling markers Fis1 and mitofusin, and mtDNA regulatory Tfam were reduced. Exome sequencing showed mutations in PDHA1 in the first patient and in PDHB in the second. These genes encode subunits of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH) that could explain the compensatory increase of CoQ10 and a defect of mitochondrial homeostasis. These two cases describe, for the first time, a mitochondrial disease caused by PDH defects associated with unbalanced of both CoQ10 content and mitochondria homeostasis, which severely affects the brain. Both CoQ10 and mitochondria homeostasis appears as new markers for PDH associated mitochondrial disorders.

Topics: Base Sequence; Brain Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Fatal Outcome; Fibroblasts; Humans; Infant; Male; Mitochondria, Muscle; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutation; Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex; Skin; Ubiquinone

Our findings in 19 new patients with cerebellar ataxia establish the existence of an ataxic syndrome due to primary CoQ10 deficiency and responsive to CoQ10 therapy. As all patients presented cerebellar ataxia and cerebellar atrophy, this suggests a selective vulnerability of the cerebellum to CoQ10 deficiency. We investigated the regional distribution of coenzyme Q10 in the brain of adult rats and in the brain of one human subject. We also evaluated the levels of coenzyme Q9 (CoQ9) and CoQ10 in different brain regions and in visceral tissues of rats before and after oral administration of CoQ10. Our results show that in rats, amongst the seven brain regions studied, cerebellum contains the lowest level of CoQ. However, the relative proportion of CoQ10 was the same (about 30% of total CoQ) in all regions studied. The level of CoQ10 is much higher in brain than in blood or visceral tissue, such as liver, heart, or kidney. Daily oral administration of CoQ10 led to substantial increases of CoQ10 concentrations only in blood and liver. Of the four regions of one human brain studied, cerebellum again had the lowest CoQ10y concentration.

Topics: Animals; Brain Chemistry; Brain Diseases; Cerebellar Ataxia; Cerebellum; Cerebral Cortex; Coenzymes; Corpus Striatum; Humans; Kidney; Liver; Myocardium; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Tissue Distribution; Ubiquinone

An 18-year-old male with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy and lactic acidosis was studied by electromyography (EMG) along with histological and biochemical studies on his biopsied muscle. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase deficiency with a decrease in the amounts of the subunits 2, 6, and 7 was discovered. Although no apparent symptoms of peripheral neuropathy were present, EMG revealed high-amplitude motor unit action potentials with a reduced interference pattern and the histochemical study revealed fiber type grouping without grouped atrophy. These findings indicated lower motor neuron damage, probably due to the mitochondrial disorder, followed by reinnervation. Coenzyme Q10 administration was effective in reducing both the lactate and pyruvate levels and for recovering the muscle atrophy.

Topics: Acidosis, Lactic; Adolescent; Biopsy; Brain Diseases; Coenzymes; Cytochrome-c Oxidase Deficiency; Electromyography; Humans; Male; Mitochondria, Muscle; Muscular Diseases; Ubiquinone

A male with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidemia, and strokelike episodes is reported. He had also recurrent episodes of ileus. Muscle biopsy revealed ragged-red fibres. The cytochemistry of cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) showed scattered nonstained fibres, while all muscle fibres were heavily stained by immunocytochemistry using CCO antibody. These findings suggest that partical CCO deficiency may be present in the skeletal muscles of the patient. NADH cytochrome c reductase in the patient's muscle mitochondria was low compared with normal controls (about 26%), although succinate cytochrome c reductase was normal. Coenzyme Q10 administration (90 mg/day) did not improve CSF lactate levels, but did decrease plasma lactate levels. His muscle weakness slightly improved.

Topics: Acidosis, Lactic; Adult; Brain Diseases; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Coenzymes; Electron Transport Complex IV; Humans; Intestinal Obstruction; Male; Mitochondria, Muscle; Muscular Diseases; Recurrence; Ubiquinone

In a patient with mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes [MELAS] who had normal mitochondrial enzyme activity, high doses of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) were administered. Clinical improvement with decreased serum lactate and pyruvate levels was observed. Though the mechanism of action of CoQ is not known, a trial is worthwhile in patients with MELAS.

Topics: Acidosis, Lactic; Adolescent; Betamethasone; Brain Diseases; Coenzymes; Female; Humans; Mitochondria, Muscle; Muscular Diseases; Prednisolone; Syndrome; Ubiquinone