SAEVA Congress 2018 Proceedings | 12-15 February 2018 | ATKV Goudini Spa
4. Magnetic resonance.
5. (PET)
B. Electrodiagnositics
1. Electromyography.
2. Electroencephalography.
3. Evoked auditory response.
Coenzyme Q10 and What the Equine
Practitioner Wants to Know
Dr. Warwick Bayly, BVSc, MS, PhD, Dip ACVIM
College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University
CoQ10 is a naturally-occurring “vitamin” which plays a fundamental role as a
required enzymatic cofactor in the mitochondrial electron transport chain as an
electron shuttle between proton-pumping protein complexes. It is essential for
oxidative phosphorylation and, thus, aerobic production of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP). CoQ10 is found in highest
concentrations in tissues with high metabolic rates, such as the
myocardium, liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle tissue. Due to
this seemingly ubiquitous distribution, CoQ10 is also known as
ubiquinone (oxidized form) or ubiquinol (reduced, aromatic diol
form).
As ubiquinol, CoQ10 is the only endogenously
Oxidized coenzyme Q10
synthesized anti-oxidant in the human body. It serves as a
(“ubiquinone”)
potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS; eg,
superoxide and hydroxyl radicals), and therefore it is the first line of defense against
oxidative stress. As a result, CoQ10 concentrations often decrease and/or become
depleted before other anti-oxidants like α- and γ-tocopherol, forms of Vitamin E, are
affected. In fact, tocopherol concentrations are often maintained at the expense of
CoQ10 ubiquinol.
Due to its potential benefits as a general anti-oxidant, a protectant against
cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and as a purported enhancer of
aerobic performance, CoQ10 has become a popular dietary supplement for people
throughout the world and is readily available over-the-counter. The peer-reviewed
scientific literature is replete with hundreds of papers lauding the action of CoQ10 as
an anti-oxidant and an enhancer of cellular energy production. However, it has been
largely overlooked by the horse world.
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