Chronic kidney disease and coenzyme Q10 supplementation

Among the potential causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD), mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation have been implicated as contributor factors to the pathogenesis of this disorder. It is thought that CoQ10 supplementation may offer some therapeutic potential in the treatment of patients with CKD, since CoQ10 has a key role in normal MRC function, as well as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. This article will outline the current knowledge on the use of CoQ10 in the treatment of CK

Serum coenzyme Q

Accelerated atherosclerosis is the major cause of mortality in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in HD patients as an indicator of atherosclerosis. Seventy-one chronic HD patients and 65 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were included in the study. Plasma CoQ10 levels were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography measurements. CFR was assessed by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Serum CoQ10 levels (1.36 +/- 0.43 vs. 2.53 +/- 0.55, P<0.001) and CFR values (1.73 +/- 0.11 vs. 2.32 +/- 0.28, P<0.001) were significantly lower in HD patients compared with controls. There was a significant positive correlation between CFR and serum levels of CoQ10 (r=0.669, P<0.001). A linear regression analysis showed that serum levels of CoQ10 were still significantly and positively correlated with CFR (regression coefficient=0.235, P<0.001). Our data have demonstrated that HD patients exhibit decreased plasma CoQ10 levels and CFR values. The study also showed for the first time that serum CoQ10 levels independently predict CFR in HD patients