Effect of Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) on hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells following transient global ischemia/reperfusion in male wistar rat

Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R)-induced cerebral injury has been reported as a leading cause of death and long-term disabilities. Hippocampus is an area which is more sensitive to be affected by I/R and hypoxic conditions. Coenzyme Q10 is a strong antioxidant which plays a role in membrane stabilization. This study aims to investigate the possible role of CoQ10 in ameliorating the histomorphological changes in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells induced by cerebral I/R. Thirty six adult male wistar rats were divided into six groups, each group consisting of six rats, including control, ischemia, vehicle and CoQ10-treated (10, 50,100 mg/kg). In treatment groups, rats were orally administered CoQ10 during five days before and three days after I/R. Global cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion for about 20 minutes, followed by reperfusion. H&E and Nissl staining were utilized for some qualitative and quantitative studies. Then the histomorphological changes were measured by Image Tools 2 software. The data analysis showed a significant reduction in the number of CA1 pyramidal cells after I/R; whearas, no significant difference was seen in the number of cells in mentioned region between control and 100 mg/kg CoQ10-treated groups. The findings indicate the neurotrophic properties of CoQ10 and support the beneficial effects of CoQ10 as an adjuvant therapy in patients who have risk factor(s) of ischemic stroke.