EFFECT OF ORAL COENZYME-Q10 SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE OXIDATION RESISTANCE OF HUMAN VLDL- ABSORPTION AND ANTIOXIDATIVE PROPERTIES OF OIL AND GRANULE-BASED PREPARATIONS(LDL FRACTION )

Coenzyme Q10 (Q10) is supposed to be an important endogenous lipid-sol uble antioxidant. We studied 60 healthy 46 +/- 7 (mean +/- SD)-year-ol d smoking men. They were randomized into three groups to receive oil-b ased or granular Q10 (90 mg/d) or placebo for 2 months. Oil-based caps ule elevated Q10 in plasma by 178% and in VLDL+LDL fraction by 160%. T he granular preparation increased Q10 in plasma by 168% and in VLDL+LD L by 127%. However, the 2-month Q10 supplementation did not increase t he oxidation resistance of VLDL+LDL fraction, as assessed by copper in duced VLDL+LDL oxidation, haemin+H2O2-induced VLDL+LDL oxidation, tota l antioxidative capacity of LDL, and plasma malondialdehyde measuremen ts. The first and the last dose was used to carry out a 12 h pharmacok inetic study (five subjects per group), which indicated that only a sm all part of supplemented Q10 was absorbed to the circulation in 12 h a nd that the absorption varied extensively between subjects. Our result s suggest that at least among smoking men, 90 mg of orally supplemente d Q10 daily does not increase the oxidation resistance of VLDL+LDL. Bi oavailability of both the granular and the oil-based Q10 preparation w as similar during the long-term supplementation, but one dose of 30 mg had only a marginal effect on the plasma levels of Q10. (C) 1997 Else vier Science Inc.