Journal of Analytical & Bioanalytical Techniques
Open Access

Abstract

Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ), a 1, 4-benzoquinone with a 50-carbon isoprenoid side chain, is present in humans in both the reduced (ubiquinol, CoQ 10 H 2 ) and oxidised (ubiquinone, CoQ 10 ) forms. CoQ 10 is an essential cofactor in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and is necessary for ATP production. Deficiency of CoQ 10 has reported in individuals with neurological disease, and metabolic disease. A number of methods to measure coenzyme Q 10 in plasma and other biological specimen has been described (18-21), but no methods for the simultaneous determination of oxidized and reduced forms of CoQ 10 in human skeletal muscle were reported. Given the increased interest in coenzyme Q 10 and its association with a variety of disease, we developed a simple and rapid HPLC method with coulometric detection for simultaneous determination of total, reduced and oxidized CoQ 10 in human skeletal muscle. CoQ 10 levels were determined in skeletal muscle of 148 children, and we established three level thresholds for total CoQ 10 in muscle. We defined as ?severe deficiency?, CoQ 10 levels falling in the range between 0.82 and 4.88 μ mol/g tissue, as ?intermediate deficiency?, those ranging between 5.40 and 9.80 μ mol/g tissue, and as ?mild deficiency?, the amount of CoQ 10 included between 10.21 and 19.10 μ mol/g tissue. Early identification of CoQ 10 deficiency has important implications in children, not only for those with primary CoQ 10 defect, but also for patients with neurodegenerative disorders, in order to encourage earlier supplementation with this agent also in mild and intermediate deficiency.

Biography

Anna Pastore has completed her Ph.D. at age of 25 years from the Tor Vergata University, and post-doctoral studies form the Children?s Hospital and Research Institute Bambino Gesł. At present time she is completing the specialization in Clinical Biochemistry from the Tor Vergata University. She has published more than 75 papers in reputed journals.