Coenzyme Q10 modulates cognitive impairment against
intracerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin in rats
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a peculiar lipophilic
antioxidant, is an essential component of the mitochondrial electron-transport
chain. It is involved in the manufacturing of adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) and has been linked with improving cognitive functions. The
present study shows the neuroprotective effect of CoQ10 on cognitive
impairments and oxidative damage in hippocampus and cerebral cortex
of intracerebroventricular-streptozotocin (ICV-STZ) infused rats.
Male Wistar rats (1-year old) were infused bilaterally with an ICV
injection of STZ (1.5 mg/kg b.wt., in normal saline), while sham group
received vehicle only. After 24 h, the rats were supplemented with
CoQ10 (10 mg/kg b.wt. i.p.) for 3 weeks. The learning and memory tests
were monitored 2 weeks after the lesioning. STZ-infused rats showed
the loss of cognitive performance in Morris water maze and passive
avoidance tests. Three weeks after the lesioning, the rats were sacrificed
for estimating the contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances
(TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH), protein carbonyl (PC), ATP and
the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase
(GR), cholineacetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE).
Significant alteration in the markers of oxidative damage (TBARS,
GSH, PC, GPx and GR) and a decline in the level of ATP were observed
in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of ICV-STZ rat. A significant
decrease in ChAT activity and a concomitant increase in AChE activity
were observed in the hippocampus. However, supplementation with CoQ10
in STZ-infused rats reversed all the parameters significantly. Thus,
the study demonstrates that CoQ10 may have a therapeutic importance
in the treatment of Alzheimer's type dementia. Ishrat T, Khan MB,
Hoda MN, Yousuf S, Ahmad M, Ansari MA, Ahmad AS, Islam F. Behav
Brain Res. 2006 Jul 15;171(1):9-16.
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