Influence of Coenzyme Q(10) on release of pro-inflammatory chemokines in the human monocytic cell line THP-1

Coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) is an obligatory element in the mitochondrial electron transport system and functions as a potent antioxidant of lipid membranes. In-vivo and in-vitro studies indicate an involvement of CoQ(10) in inflammatory pathways. Here we studied in the human monocytic cell-line THP-1 the influence of CoQ(10) on LPS-induced secretion of the pro-inflammatory chemokines Macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), Regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). In comparison to unstimulated cells, LPS leads to 22-, 3- and 4.5-fold higher levels of MIP-1 alpha, RANTES and MCP-1 in the cell culture medium, respectively. Pre-incubation of cells with 10 mu M CoQ(10) resulted in a significant decrease of LPS-induced MIP-1 alpha and RANTES secretion to 55.04% (p = 0.02) and 76.84% (p = 0.04), respectively. In conclusion, CoQ(10) reduces the LPS-induced secretion levels of the pro-inflammatory chemokines MIP-1 alpha and RANTES in the human monocytic cell line THP-1. These data suggest that CoQ(10) possesses anti-inflammatory properties.