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Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation Prevents Iron Overload While Improving Glycaemic Control and Antioxidant Protection in Insulin-Resistant Psammomys obesus

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Abstract

This study investigated the anti-diabetic preventive activity of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in a murine model of diet-induced insulin resistance (IR), Psammomys obesus (Po). IR was induced by feeding a standard laboratory diet (SD). CoQ10 oil suspension was orally administered at 10 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day along with SD for 9 months. Anthropometric parameters, namely, total body weight gain (BWG) and the relative weight of white adipose tissue (WAT) were determined. Blood glucose, insulin, quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), total antioxidant status (TAS), iron, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite (NO2 −) were evaluated. NO2 − level was also assessed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) culture supernatants. Our results show that CoQ10 supplementation significantly improved blood glucose, insulin, QUICKI, TAS, iron and MDA, but influenced neither NO2 − levels nor the anthropometric parameters. These findings support the hypothesis that CoQ10 would exert an anti-diabetic activity by improving both glycaemic control and antioxidant protection. The most marked effect of CoQ10 observed in this study concerns the regulation of iron levels, which may carry significant preventive importance.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank all the staff of the Arid Zones Research Station at Beni-Abbes. A special thank goes to Mrs El-Kebaili K and Mrs Touat M for technical help. We are grateful to Mrs Donegan M for English language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biology and Physiology of Organisms/Molecular Modelling Endothelial Dysfunction and Diabetes; Faculty of Biological Sciences, USTHB, P.O. Box 32, El-Alia, Dar El Beida, 16 111, Algiers, Algeria

    Mohamed Amine Lazourgui & Salima El-Aoufi

  2. Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology; Faculty of Biological Sciences, USTHB, El-Alia, P.O. Box 32, Dar El Beida, 16 111, Algiers, Algeria

    Moussa Labsi

  3. Laboratory of Theoretical Physical-chemistry and Computing Chemistry; Faculty of Chemistry, USTHB, El-Alia, P.O. Box 32, Dar El Beida, 16 111, Algiers, Algeria

    Boubekeur Maouche

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  1. Mohamed Amine Lazourgui
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  2. Salima El-Aoufi
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  4. Boubekeur Maouche
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Correspondence to Mohamed Amine Lazourgui.

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Lazourgui, M.A., El-Aoufi, S., Labsi, M. et al. Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation Prevents Iron Overload While Improving Glycaemic Control and Antioxidant Protection in Insulin-Resistant Psammomys obesus . Biol Trace Elem Res 173, 108–115 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0617-3

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