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Physical activity affects plasma coenzyme Q10 levels differently in young and old humans

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Abstract

Coenzyme Q (Q) is a key lipidic compound for cell bioenergetics and membrane antioxidant activities. It has been shown that also has a central role in the prevention of oxidation of plasma lipoproteins. Q has been associated with the prevention of cholesterol oxidation and several aging-related diseases. However, to date no clear data on the levels of plasma Q during aging are available. We have measured the levels of plasmatic Q10 and cholesterol in young and old individuals showing different degrees of physical activity. Our results indicate that plasma Q10 levels in old people are higher that the levels found in young people. Our analysis also indicates that there is no a relationship between the degree of physical activity and Q10 levels when the general population is studied. However, very interestingly, we have found a different tendency between Q10 levels and physical activity depending on the age of individuals. In young people, higher activity correlates with lower Q10 levels in plasma whereas in older adults this ratio changes and higher activity is related to higher plasma Q10 levels and higher Q10/Chol ratios. Higher Q10 levels in plasma are related to lower lipoperoxidation and oxidized LDL levels in elderly people. Our results highlight the importance of life habits in the analysis of Q10 in plasma and indicate that the practice of physical activity at old age can improve antioxidant capacity in plasma and help to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank the participants for their patience, devotion and participation. This study has been supported by funds from the Andalusian Government as the BIO177 group through FEDER funds (European Commission). The Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo and the Universidad Pablo de Olavide provided human and infrastructure resources. Jesús del Pozo-Cruz was awarded a pre-doctoral fellowship and the study were funded by the project IMD2010-SC002 from the Centro Andaluz de Medicina del Deporte on behalf of the Government of Andalusia. Tung Bui Thanh received a fellowship from the AECID program (Spanish Ministry of Foreing Affair). ERB, MBS, PN and GLL are also members of the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto Carlos III.

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  1. Dpto. Fisiología, Anatomía y Biología Celular, Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CIBERER, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Universidad Pablo de Olavide-CSIC-JA, Carretera de Utrera km. 1, 41013, Seville, Spain

    Jesús Del Pozo-Cruz, Elisabet Rodríguez-Bies, Manuel Ballesteros-Simarro, Ignacio Navas-Enamorado, Bui Thanh Tung, Plácido Navas & Guillermo López-Lluch

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  1. Jesús Del Pozo-Cruz
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  2. Elisabet Rodríguez-Bies
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  7. Guillermo López-Lluch
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Correspondence to Guillermo López-Lluch.

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Del Pozo-Cruz, J., Rodríguez-Bies, E., Ballesteros-Simarro, M. et al. Physical activity affects plasma coenzyme Q10 levels differently in young and old humans. Biogerontology 15, 199–211 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-013-9491-y

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