The effect of the antioxidant, Coenzyme Q, on Coco-2 colon cells treated with iron to reduce lipid peroxidation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine if Coenzyme Q10 (also known as ubiquinone) acting as an antioxidant, would protect against free radical damage to cell membranes that can cause cancer. Caco-2 cells were fed experimental media with and without different concentrations of iron (200, 400 or 800 uM) and with and without CoQ10 (400 uM). The presence of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenals (4-HNE or HNE) were assayed as an indicator of lipid peroxidation. The results were standardized for the amount of protein in the cell culture well. Iron was not a significant cause of lipid peroxidation in Caco-2 cells. CoQ10 appeared to significantly reduce the amount of MDA and 4-HNE in the media and cells combined regardless of the presence of iron, but the analysis did not include the vehicle, mineral oil, for CoQ10 due to a limited n. Therefore, the mineral oil with CoQ10 may be considered protective from free radical damage in the colon.