The effects of coenzyme Q(10) 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 Q(10) (COQ) and 1% of cholesterol plus 0.5% of coenzyme Q(10) (CHCQ) groups to determine the effects of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) on the antioxidant defense system in rats. The body weight, weight gain, liver weight and abdominal fat pads were unaffected by 0.5% of CoQ(10) 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 CoQ(10) supplement (COQ) did not alter these blood lipid indices. In the mRNA expression, there was a significant effect (P < 0.05) of the CoQ(10) 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 CoQ(10) supplement. Similar to mRNA expression of SOD, its activity was also significantly increased (P < 0.05) by CoQ(10), but not by the cholesterol supplement effect. The activities hepatic GPX and GST were unaffected by CoQ(10) 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 CoQ(10) supplement to 1% of cholesterol-fed rats alleviated the production of lipid peroxidation in the liver. In conclusion, 0.5% of the CoQ(10) supplement resulted in positive effects on the hepatic antioxidant defense system without affecting blood lipid indices in 1% of cholesterol fed rats.