# Progress and Prospects in Parkinson's Research/Therapy/Neuroprotection/Co-Enzyme Q10
## Background

Co-Enzyme Q$_{10}$ is also known as ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, coenzyme Q and CoQ10 and is found in all eukaryotic cells, where it forms a key component of the metabolism of oxygen into Adenisone TriPhosphate (ATP) by mitochondria.

## Research

1999
Schults et al found that oral CoQ$_{10}$ protected the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in one-year-old mice treated with MPTP.
2002
Schults et al took 80 subjects with early PD who did not require treatment for their disability and made a random assignment to placebo or coenzyme Q$_{10}$ at dosages of 300, 600, or 1200 mg/d.
The progress of their PD was measured over 16 months. The adjusted mean total UPDRS changes were +11.99 for the placebo group, +8.81 for the 300-mg/d group, +10.82 for the 600-mg/d group, and +6.69 for the 1200-mg/d group. The conclusion was that the administration of CoQ$_{10}$lows down the progresssion of PD.
2003
Schults reviewed the evidence that CoQ$_{10}$ can slow the functional decline in PD.
2004
Schults et al assessed the optimum level of CoQ$_{10}$ that could be tolerated. They gave increasing doses to 17 patients together with a stable dosage of Vitamin E (apha-tocopherol). and measured the corresponding levels in serum.
The results suggested that a dosage of 2400 mg/day (with vitamin E/alpha-tocopherol 1200 IU/day) is an appropriate highest dosage to be studied.
2007
Galpern and Cudkowicz make the case for treating neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease with CoQ$_{10}$, which is safe and well tolerated.
2008
Cleren et al established a number of benefits of CoQ$_{10}$ in animal models.
1. Administration in the diet resulted in significant protection against loss of dopamine (DA), which was accompanied by a marked increase in plasma concentrations of CoQ$_{10}$.
2. Neuroprotection was stablished against MPTP -induced loss of DA using both CoQ$_{10}$, and reduced CoQ$_{10}$.
3. They found neuroprotective effects against DA depletion, loss of tyrosine hydroxylase neurons and induction of alpha-synuclein inclusions in the substantia nigra pars compacta.
2009
Faust et al reported on a series of experiments on fruit flies:-
   In the present study, a Drosophila DJ-1A model of PD was used to test potential neuroprotective drugs. The drugs applied are the Chinese herb celastrol, the antibiotic minocycline, the bioenergetic amine coenzyme Q$_{10}$ (coQ$_{10}$), and the glutamate antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulphamoylbenzo[f]-quinoxaline (NBQX). All of these drugs target pathogenic processes implicated in PD, thus constitute mechanism-based treatment strategies. We show that celastrol and minocycline, both having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, confer potent dopaminergic neuroprotection in Drosophila DJ-1A model, while coQ10 shows no protective effect. NBQX exerts differential effects on cell survival and brain dopamine content: it protects against DN loss but fails to restore brain dopamine level.

## Further Reading

2009
Spindler, Meredith; Beal, M. .Flint and Henchcliffe, Claire. Full Text Neuropsychiatr. Dis. Treatm. 5, 597
Coenzyme Q10 effects in neurodegenerative disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2785862/?tool=pmcentrez
Elble, Rodger J.; Suchowersky, Oksana; Shaftman, Stephanie; Weiner, William J.; Huang, Peng and Tilley, Barbara. Full Text: Mov. Disord. 25 (8): 1082–1086.
Impact of belief in neuroprotection on therapeutic intervention in Parkinson disease
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724477/?tool=pmcentrez
Yang, Lichuann; Noel Y. Calingasan, Noel Y,; Wille, Elizabeth J.; Kerry Cormier, Kerry; Smith, Karen; Ferrante, Robert J. and Beal, M. Flint. Full Text J. Neurochem. 109 (50 1427 – 1439.
Combination Therapy with Coenzyme Q10 and Creatine Produces Additive Neuroprotective Effects in Models of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Diseases
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866530/?tool=pmcentreza
Mallika Somayajulu-Niţu, Mallika; Sandhu, Jagdeep K,; Cohen, Jerome; Sikorska, Marianna; Sridhar, T. S.; Matei, Anca; Borowy-Borowski, Henryk and Pandey, Siyaram. Full Text BMC Neurosci. 2009; 10: 88.
Paraquat induces oxidative stress, neuronal loss in substantia nigra region and Parkinsonism in adult rats: Neuroprotection and amelioration of symptoms by water-soluble formulation of Coenzyme Q10
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724477/?tool=pmcentrez
Today
   Use the following links to query the PubMed, PubMed Central and Google Scholar databases using the Search terms:- Parkinson's_Disease Co-enzyme Q10.
   This will list the latest papers on this topic. You are invited to update this page to reflect such recent results, pointing out their significance.
Q10 Pubmed (abstracts)
Q10 Pubmed_Central (Full_Text)
Q10 Google_Scholar

## Related pages

Therapy > Neuroprotection
Sub Pages:
    Neuroprotective agents
    Substances with possible neuroprotective properties:
    Caffeine,--Celastrol,--Co-Enzyme Q10,--Creatine,--DHA,--Exendin-4 (EX-4),--GDNF,--Glutathione (GSH),--GM1,--Isradipine,--Melatonin,--Minocycline,--Nicotine,--NSAIDs,--Phenylbutyrate,--Phytic Acid,--Probucol,--Quinoxaline,--Rasagiline,--Riboflavin,--Statins,--Tolcapone,--Urate & Uric Acid,--Vitamin D,--Vitamin E,--