Protective effect of Coenzyme Q10 on oxidative ovarian and uterine damage induced by methotrexate in rats

Evaluation of the protective effect of coenzyme Q10 against x-ray irradiation-induced ovarian injury

AIM

This study focused on the anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects of CoQ10 in ovaries exposed to pelvic radiation.

METHODS

Thirty-two female rats were randomly assigned into four groups. Group I (control group), Group II: Only 2 Gy pelvic x-ray irradiation (IR) was administered as a single fractioned dose. Group III: 30 mg/kg CoQ10 was administered by oral gavage +2 Gy pelvic IR. Group IV: 150 mg/kg CoQ10 was administered by oral gavage +2 Gy pelvic IR. CoQ10 treatment was started 7 days before pelvic IR and completed 7 days later. The rats in Group III and IV were treated with CoQ10 for a total of 14 days.

RESULTS

Histopathological analysis showed severe damage to the ovarian tissue in the radiation group, while both doses of CoQ10 showed normal histological structure. Likewise, while there was a high level of staining in the IR group for necrosis and apoptosis, the CoQ10 treated ones were like the control group. Tissue Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were like the control group in the low-dose CoQ10 group, while the MDA levels of the high dose CoQ10 group were similar to the radiation group.

CONCLUSION

Usage of low-dose CoQ10 has a radioprotective effect on radiation-induced ovarian damage. Although the use of high doses is morphologically radioprotective, no antioxidative effect was observed in the biochemical evaluation.

Pinostrobin, a dietary bioflavonoid exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic protective effects against methotrexate-induced ovarian toxicity in rats

This study investigated the protective activities of pinostrobin (PIN) against methotrexate (MTX)-induced ovarian toxicity. Female rats were administered with PIN (50 mg/kg) for 4 weeks, while MTX was administered from weeks 2-4 of PIN treatment. Serum hormonal profiles, ovarian oxidative stress, inflammatory and apoptotic biomarkers as well as ovarian histomorphometry were evaluated. MTX administration elicited profound deficit in serum progesterone and estrogen (E2) levels, while luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were significantly increased. Additionally, MTX administration was associated with significant increases in ovarian malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, NF-кB, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS and caspase-3 activity, as well as notable reduction in the activities of glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase as well as the level of glutathione. Whereas, treatment with PIN significantly decreased serum levels of FSH and LH, as well as ovarian levels of NO, MDA, caspase 3, NF-κB, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and iNOS. PIN also significantly upregulated GSH, GPx, CAT and SOD in the ovarian tissues as well as increased serum E2 and progesterone levels compared to the MTX group. Furthermore, PIN significantly restored altered ovarian histoarchitecture in the treated group. These findings suggests that PIN exerts protective effects against MTX-triggered ovarian damages.

Effects of dietary coenzyme Q10 supplementation during gestation on the embryonic survival and reproductive performance of high-parity sows

BACKGROUND

Fertility declines in high-parity sows. This study investigated whether parity-dependent declines in embryonic survival and reproductive performance could be restored by dietary coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation.

METHODS

Two experiments were performed. In Exp. 1, 30 young sows that had completed their 2^nd parity and 30 high-parity sows that had completed their 10^th parity, were fed either a control diet (CON) or a CON diet supplemented with 1 g/kg CoQ10 (+ CoQ10) from mating until slaughter at day 28 of gestation. In Exp. 2, a total of 314 post-weaning sows with two to nine parities were fed the CON or + CoQ10 diets from mating throughout gestation.

RESULTS

In Exp. 1, both young and high-parity sows had a similar number of corpora lutea, but high-parity sows had lower plasma CoQ10 concentrations, down-regulated genes involved with de novo CoQ10 synthesis in the endometrium tissues, and greater levels of oxidative stress markers in plasma and endometrium tissues. High-parity sows had fewer total embryos and alive embryos, lower embryonic survival, and greater embryo mortality than young sows. Dietary CoQ10 supplementation increased the number of live embryos and the embryonic survival rate to levels similar to those of young sows, as well as lowering the levels of oxidative stress markers. In Exp. 2, sows showed a parity-dependent decline in plasma CoQ10 levels, and sows with more than four parities showed a progressive decline in the number of total births, live births, and piglets born effective. Dietary supplementation with CoQ10 increased the number of total births, live births, and born effective, and decreased the intra-litter covariation coefficients and the percentage of sows requiring farrowing assistance during parturition.

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary CoQ10 supplementation can improve the embryonic survival and reproductive performance of gestating sows with high parity, probably by improving the development of uterine function.

Impact of antioxidant supplementation during in vitro culture of ovarian preantral follicles: A review

The in vitro culture systems of ovarian preantral follicles have been developed for studying follicular and oocyte growth, for future use of immature oocytes as sources of fertilizable oocytes and for screening ovarian toxic substances. One of the key limitations of the in vitro culture of preantral follicles is the oxidative stress by accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can impair follicular development and oocyte quality. Several factors are associated with oxidative stress in vitro, which implies the need for a rigorous control of the conditions as well as addition of antioxidant agents to the culture medium. Antioxidant supplementation can minimize or eliminate the damage caused by ROS, supporting follicular survival and development and producing mature oocytes competent for fertilization. This review focuses on the use of antioxidants and their role in preventing follicular damage caused by oxidative stress in the in vitro culture of preantral follicles.

The Biochemistry and Effectiveness of Antioxidants in Food, Fruits, and Marine Algae

It is more effective to maintain good health than to regain it after losing it. This work focuses on the biochemical defense mechanisms against free radicals and their role in building and maintaining antioxidant shields, aiming to show how to balance, as much as possible, the situations in which we are exposed to free radicals. To achieve this aim, foods, fruits, and marine algae with a high antioxidant content should constitute the basis of nutritional elements, since natural products are known to have significantly greater assimilation efficiency. This review also gives the perspective in which the use of antioxidants can extend the life of food products, by protecting them from damage caused by oxidation as well as their use as food additives.

Protective Effects of Antioxidants on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Ovarian Toxicity

The most common limitation of anticancer chemotherapy is the injury to normal cells. Cyclophosphamide, which is one of the most widely used alkylating agents, can cause premature ovarian insufficiency and infertility since the ovarian follicles are extremely sensitive to their effects. Although little information is available about the pathogenic mechanism of cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian damage, its toxicity is attributed to oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. The use of compounds with antioxidant and cytoprotective properties to protect ovarian function from deleterious effects during chemotherapy would be a significant advantage. Thus, this article reviews the mechanism by which cyclophosphamide exerts its toxic effects on the different cellular components of the ovary, and describes 24 cytoprotective compounds used to ameliorate cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian injury and their possible mechanisms of action. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for the development of efficient and targeted pharmacological complementary therapies that could protect and prolong female fertility.

Systematic Understanding of Anti-Aging Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on Oocyte Through a Network Pharmacology Approach

BACKGROUND

Maternal oocyte aging is strongly contributing to age-related decline in female fertility. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) exerts positive effects in improving aging-related deterioration of oocyte quality, but the exact mechanism is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To reveal the system-level mechanism of CoQ10's anti-aging effect on oocytes based on network pharmacology.

METHODS

This study adopted a systems network pharmacology approach, including target identification, data integration, network and module construction, bioinformatics analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation.

RESULT

A total of 27 potential therapeutic targets were screened out. Seven hub targets (PPARA, CAT, MAPK14, SQSTM1, HMOX1, GRB2, and GSR) were identified. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these 27 putative targets exerted therapeutic effects on oocyte aging by regulating signaling pathways (e.g., PPAR, TNF, apoptosis, necroptosisn, prolactin, and MAPK signaling pathway), and are involved oxidation-reduction process, mitochondrion, enzyme binding, reactive oxygen species metabolic process, ATP binding, among others. In addition, five densely linked functional modules revealed the potential mechanisms of CoQ10 in improving aging-related deterioration of oocyte quality are closely related to antioxidant, mitochondrial function enhancement, autophagy, anti-apoptosis, and immune and endocrine system regulation. The molecular docking study reveals that seven hub targets have a good binding affinity towards CoQ10, and molecular dynamics simulation confirms the stability of the interaction between the hub targets and the CoQ10 ligand.

CONCLUSION

This network pharmacology study revealed the multiple mechanisms involved in the anti-aging effect of CoQ10 on oocytes. The molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation provide evidence that CoQ10 may act on these hub targets to fight against oocytes aging.