To investigate the possibility that mitochondrial oxidative damage or oxidative DNA damage or both contribute to the neurodegenerative process of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS), three Japanese researchers from the Department of Neurology, Iwate Prefectural Ninohe Hospital in Iwate, Japan conducted a study that used high-performance liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector to measure the concentrations of the reduced and oxidized forms of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 17 patients with sALS and 17 age-matched controls with no neurological diseases.

Their results suggest that both mitochondrial oxidative damage and oxidative DNA damage play important roles in the pathogenesis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

More specifically, they discovered that the percentage of oxidized CoQ10 in the CSF of sALS patients was greater than that in the CSF of controls (p<0.002) and was negatively correlated with the duration of illness (rho=-0.61, p<0.01). The concentration of 8-OHdG in the CSF of sALS patients was greater than that in the CSF of controls (p<0.005) and was positively correlated with the duration of illness (rho=0.53, p<0.005). The percentage of oxidized CoQ10 was correlated with the concentrations of 8-OHdG in the CSF of sALS patients (rho=-0.53, p<0.05).

Bottom Line: CoQ10 may exert considerable neuroprotective effects where mitochondrial oxidative damage is occurring – as it is in ALS.

Study Source: Murata T, Ohtsuka C, Terayama Y. “Increased mitochondrial oxidative damage and oxidative DNA damage contributes to the neurodegenerative process in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.” Free Radic Res. 2008 Mar;42(3):221-5.

ALS and CoQ10 Dosage Note: Dosage depends on many different factors therefore, please discuss this issue with your local healthcare professional before taking any CoQ10 supplement.

EPIC and epic4health.com carry a full line of bioenhanced CoQ10 supplements in both the ubiquinone and the ubiquinol forms. Convenient delivery systems offered include; softgelatin capsules, chewable tablets, vege-caps, powders, syrups and liquid concentrates.