The effects of coenzyme Q₁₀ supplement on blood lipid indices and hepatic antioxidant defense system in SD rats fed a high cholesterol diet

A total of 24 SD rats were allotted to four treatment groups such as the control (CON), 1% of cholesterol diet (CHO), 0.5% of coenzyme Q₁₀ (COQ) and 1% of cholesterol plus 0.5% of coenzyme Q₁₀ (CHCQ) groups to determine the effects of coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) on the antioxidant defense system in rats. The body weight, weight gain, liver weight and abdominal fat pads were unaffected by 0.5% of CoQ₁₀ supplement in the rats. The level of triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol levels in the blood was significantly increased (p < 0.05) by the 1% of cholesterol supplement (CHO), whereas 0.5% of CoQ₁₀ supplement (COQ) did not alter these blood lipid indices. In the mRNA expression, there was a significant effect (P < 0.05) of the CoQ₁₀ supplement on the mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), although the mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) was unaffected by cholesterol or the CoQ₁₀ supplement. Similar to mRNA expression of SOD, its activity was also significantly increased (P < 0.05) by CoQ₁₀, but not by the cholesterol supplement effect. The activities hepatic GPX and GST were unaffected by CoQ₁₀ and cholesterol supplements in rats. Lipid peroxidation in the CHO group resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase compared with that in the other groups, indicating that the CoQ₁₀ supplement to 1% of cholesterol-fed rats alleviated the production of lipid peroxidation in the liver. In conclusion, 0.5% of the CoQ₁₀ supplement resulted in positive effects on the hepatic antioxidant defense system without affecting blood lipid indices in 1% of cholesterol fed rats.