Role of Co-Enzyme Q10 in the improvement of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in an animal model: Laboratory-based experimental study.

Abstract

Objective: To create a model by inducing hypercholesterolemia in rabbits by feeding them with a high-cholesterol diet in order to perform the lipid profile for alterations in the serum levels of LDL and total cholesterol in the blood and to observe the role of coenzyme Q10 in these Animals. Study Design: Experimental study. Setting: Animal House of National Institute of Health Islamabad, Pakistan. Period: Jan 2023 - Nov 2023. Methods: This study was conducted on thirty-six adult healthy rabbits. Increased blood cholesterol level was developed in experimental animals by giving them high-cholesterol diet for 120 days, the very next day Coenzyme Q10 was given to rabbits for 30 days. Base line levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein, Low density lipoprotein, and High density lipoprotein were measured. After 24 hours of the last test dose Lipid markers were tested. One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukey test were applied for calculating mean and standard deviations. Results: High cholesterol diet-fed rabbits showed a significant increase in cholesterol level after 120 days with respect to day zero, the serum total cholesterol level decreased after giving CoQ10 for the next 30 days. Similarly, serum low-density lipoprotein levels showed a significant increase following 120 days of intake of a high-cholesterol diet. However, this increase is followed by a decrease in levels when treated with CoQ10 for 30 days. Conclusion: A High cholesterol diet produces hyperlipidemia in animal models. CoQ10 can be effectively used for lowering the serum levels of cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, which may be beneficial in correcting dyslipidemia in patients with cardiovascular diseases.