The progress in understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on the recognition of the primary causes of the disease, which can be deduced from the knowledge of risk factors and biomarkers measurable in the early stages of the disease. Insights into the risk factors and the time course of biomarker abnormalities point to a role for the connection of amyloid beta (Aβ) pathology, tau pathology, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the onset and development of AD. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipid antioxidant and electron transporter in the mitochondrial electron transport system. The availability and activity of CoQ10 is crucial for proper mitochondrial function and cellular bioenergetics. Based on the mitochondrial hypothesis of AD and the hypothesis of oxidative stress, the regulation of the efficiency of the oxidative phosphorylation system by means of CoQ10 can be considered promising in restoring the mitochondrial function impaired in AD, or in preventing the onset of mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of amyloid and tau pathology in AD. This review summarizes the knowledge on the pathophysiology of AD, in which CoQ10 may play a significant role, with the aim of evaluating the perspective of the pharmacotherapy of AD with CoQ10 and its analogues.

• Keywords
• Alzheimer’s disease, coenzyme Q10, drug, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is generally a sporadic neurodegenerative disease which ranks among atypical Parkinson's syndromes. The main clinical manifestation is a combination of autonomic dysfunction and parkinsonism and/or cerebellar disability. The disease may resemble other Parkinsonian syndromes, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), from which MSA could be hardly distinguishable during the first years of progression. Due to the lack of a reliable and easily accessible biomarker, the diagnosis is still based primarily on the clinical picture. Recently, reduced levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) were described in MSA in various tissues, including the central nervous system. The aim of our study was to verify whether the level of CoQ10 in plasma and lymphocytes could serve as an easily available diagnostic biomarker of MSA. The study reported significantly lower levels of CoQ10 in the lymphocytes of patients with MSA compared to patients with PD and controls. The reduction in CoQ10 levels in lymphocytes correlated with the increasing degree of clinical involvement of patients with MSA. CoQ10 levels in lymphocytes seem to be a potential biomarker of disease progression.

• Keywords
• atypical parkinsonism, coenzyme Q10, lymphocytes, multiple system atrophy, plasma,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Mitochondrial dysfunction is an important cellular hallmark of aging and neurodegeneration. Platelets are a useful model to study the systemic manifestations of mitochondrial dysfunction. To evaluate the age dependence of mitochondrial parameters, citrate synthase activity, respiratory chain complex activity, and oxygen consumption kinetics were assessed. The effect of cognitive impairment was examined by comparing the age dependence of mitochondrial parameters in healthy individuals and those with neuropsychiatric disease. The study found a significant negative slope of age-dependence for both the activity of individual mitochondrial enzymes (citrate synthase and complex II) and parameters of mitochondrial respiration in intact platelets (routine respiration, maximum capacity of electron transport system, and respiratory rate after complex I inhibition). However, there was no significant difference in the age-related changes of mitochondrial parameters between individuals with and without cognitive impairment. These findings highlight the potential of measuring mitochondrial respiration in intact platelets as a means to assess age-related mitochondrial dysfunction. The results indicate that drugs and interventions targeting mitochondrial respiration may have the potential to slow down or eliminate certain aging and neurodegenerative processes. Mitochondrial respiration in platelets holds promise as a biomarker of aging, irrespective of the degree of cognitive impairment.

• Keywords
• aging, cognitive decline, mitochondria, mitochondrial respiration, neurodegenerative disease, neuroinflammation, neuroplasticity, oxidative stress, platelet, respiratory chain complex,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Damage or loss of brain cells and impaired neurochemistry, neurogenesis, and synaptic and nonsynaptic plasticity of the brain lead to dementia in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Injury to synapses and neurons and accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles are considered the main morphological and neuropathological features of AD. Age, genetic and epigenetic factors, environmental stressors, and lifestyle contribute to the risk of AD onset and progression. These risk factors are associated with structural and functional changes in the brain, leading to cognitive decline. Biomarkers of AD reflect or cause specific changes in brain function, especially changes in pathways associated with neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, bioenergetics, apoptosis, and oxidative and nitrosative stress. Even in the initial stages, AD is associated with Aβ neurotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and tau neurotoxicity. The integrative amyloid-tau-mitochondrial hypothesis assumes that the primary cause of AD is the neurotoxicity of Aβ oligomers and tau oligomers, mitochondrial dysfunction, and their mutual synergy. For the development of new efficient AD drugs, targeting the elimination of neurotoxicity, mutual potentiation of effects, and unwanted protein interactions of risk factors and biomarkers (mainly Aβ oligomers, tau oligomers, and mitochondrial dysfunction) in the early stage of the disease seems promising.

• Keywords
• Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid beta, drug, mitochondria, tau protein,
• MeSH
• Alzheimer Disease * metabolism   MeSH
• Amyloid metabolism   MeSH
• Amyloid beta-Peptides metabolism   MeSH
• Amyloidogenic Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mitochondria metabolism   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Amyloid MeSH
• Amyloid beta-Peptides MeSH
• Amyloidogenic Proteins MeSH

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a lipophilic substituted benzoquinone, is present in animal and plant cells. It is endogenously synthetized in every cell and involved in a variety of cellular processes. CoQ10 is an obligatory component of the respiratory chain in inner mitochondrial membrane. In addition, the presence of CoQ10 in all cellular membranes and in blood. It is the only endogenous lipid antioxidant. Moreover, it is an essential factor for uncoupling protein and controls the permeability transition pore in mitochondria. It also participates in extramitochondrial electron transport and controls membrane physicochemical properties. CoQ10 effects on gene expression might affect the overall metabolism. Primary changes in the energetic and antioxidant functions can explain its remedial effects. CoQ10 supplementation is safe and well-tolerated, even at high doses. CoQ10 does not cause any serious adverse effects in humans or experimental animals. New preparations of CoQ10 that are less hydrophobic and structural derivatives, like idebenone and MitoQ, are being developed to increase absorption and tissue distribution. The review aims to summarize clinical and experimental effects of CoQ10 supplementations in some neurological diseases such as migraine, Parkinson´s disease, Huntington´s disease, Alzheimer´s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreich´s ataxia or multiple sclerosis. Cardiovascular hypertension was included because of its central mechanisms controlling blood pressure in the brainstem rostral ventrolateral medulla and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. In conclusion, it seems reasonable to recommend CoQ10 as adjunct to conventional therapy in some cases. However, sometimes CoQ10 supplementations are more efficient in animal models of diseases than in human patients (e.g. Parkinson´s disease) or rather vague (e.g. Friedreich´s ataxia or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

• MeSH
• Antioxidants pharmacology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mitochondrial Diseases * metabolism   MeSH
• Mitochondria metabolism   MeSH
• Nervous System Diseases * drug therapy   metabolism   MeSH
• Electron Transport MeSH
• Ubiquinone analogs & derivatives   therapeutic use   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Antioxidants MeSH
• coenzyme Q10 MeSH Browser
• Ubiquinone MeSH

The identification and quantification of mitochondrial effects of novel antipsychotics (brexpiprazole, cariprazine, loxapine, and lurasidone) were studied in vitro in pig brain mitochondria. Selected parameters of mitochondrial metabolism, electron transport chain (ETC) complexes, citrate synthase (CS), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), monoamine oxidase (MAO), mitochondrial respiration, and total ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were evaluated and associated with possible adverse effects of drugs. All tested antipsychotics decreased the ETC activities (except for complex IV, which increased in activity after brexpiprazole and loxapine addition). Both complex I- and complex II-linked respiration were dose-dependently inhibited, and significant correlations were found between complex I-linked respiration and both complex I activity (positive correlation) and complex IV activity (negative correlation). All drugs significantly decreased mitochondrial ATP production at higher concentrations. Hydrogen peroxide production was significantly increased at 10 µM brexpiprazole and lurasidone and at 100 µM cariprazine and loxapine. All antipsychotics acted as partial inhibitors of MAO-A, brexpiprazole and loxapine partially inhibited MAO-B. Based on our results, novel antipsychotics probably lacked oxygen uncoupling properties. The mitochondrial effects of novel antipsychotics might contribute on their adverse effects, which are mostly related to decreased ATP production and increased ROS production, while MAO-A inhibition might contribute to their antidepressant effect, and brexpiprazole- and loxapine-induced MAO-B inhibition might likely promote neuroplasticity and neuroprotection. The assessment of drug-induced mitochondrial dysfunctions is important in development of new drugs as well as in the understanding of molecular mechanism of adverse or side drug effects.

• Keywords
• ATP, Dopamine system stabilizers, Mitochondrial respiration, Monoamine oxidase, Oxidative phosphorylation, Reactive oxygen species,
• MeSH
• Adenosine Triphosphate biosynthesis   MeSH
• Antipsychotic Agents classification   pharmacology   MeSH
• Quinolones pharmacology   MeSH
• Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins drug effects   MeSH
• Energy Metabolism drug effects   MeSH
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors pharmacology   MeSH
• Loxapine pharmacology   MeSH
• Lurasidone Hydrochloride pharmacology   MeSH
• Mitochondria drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Hydrogen Peroxide metabolism   MeSH
• Piperazines pharmacology   MeSH
• Swine MeSH
• Reactive Oxygen Species metabolism   MeSH
• Receptors, Neurotransmitter drug effects   MeSH
• Oxygen Consumption drug effects   MeSH
• Thiophenes pharmacology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Adenosine Triphosphate MeSH
• Antipsychotic Agents MeSH
• brexpiprazole MeSH Browser
• cariprazine MeSH Browser
• Quinolones MeSH
• Electron Transport Chain Complex Proteins MeSH
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors MeSH
• Loxapine MeSH
• Lurasidone Hydrochloride MeSH
• Hydrogen Peroxide MeSH
• Piperazines MeSH
• Reactive Oxygen Species MeSH
• Receptors, Neurotransmitter MeSH
• Thiophenes MeSH

Platelet mitochondria can be used in the study of mitochondrial dysfunction in various complex diseases and can help in finding biological markers for diagnosing the disease, monitoring its course and the effects of treatment. The aim of this chapter was to describe in detail the method of measuring mitochondrial respiration in platelets using high-resolution respirometry. The described method was successfully used for the study of mitochondrial dysfunction in neuropsychiatric diseases.

• Keywords
• High-resolution respirometry, Human platelets, Mitochondria, Neuropsychiatric disease,
• MeSH
• Cell Respiration MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mitochondria metabolism   MeSH
• Polarography instrumentation   methods   MeSH
• Blood Platelets metabolism   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

The trends of novel AD therapeutics are focused on multitarget-directed ligands (MTDLs), which combine cholinesterase inhibition with additional biological properties such as antioxidant properties to positively affect neuronal energy metabolism as well as mitochondrial function. We examined the in vitro effects of 10 novel MTDLs on the activities of mitochondrial enzymes (electron transport chain complexes and citrate synthase), mitochondrial respiration, and monoamine oxidase isoform (MAO-A and MAO-B) activity. The drug-induced effects of 7-MEOTA-adamantylamine heterodimers (K1011, K1013, K1018, K1020, and K1022) and tacrine/7-MEOTA/6-chlorotacrine-trolox heterodimers (K1046, K1053, K1056, K1060, and K1065) were measured in pig brain mitochondria. Most of the substances inhibited complex I- and complex II-linked respiration at high concentrations; K1046, K1053, K1056, and K1060 resulted in the least inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. Citrate synthase activity was not significantly inhibited by the tested substances; the least inhibition of complex I was observed for compounds K1060 and K1053, while both complex II/III and complex IV activity were markedly inhibited by K1011 and K1018. MAO-A was fully inhibited by K1018 and K1065, and MAO-B was fully inhibited by K1053 and K1065; the other tested drugs were partial inhibitors of both MAO-A and MAO-B. The tacrine/7-MEOTA/6-chlorotacrine-trolox heterodimers K1046, K1053, and K1060 seem to be the most suitable molecules for subsequent in vivo studies. These compounds had balanced inhibitory effects on mitochondrial respiration, with low complex I and complex II/III inhibition and full or partial inhibition of MAO-B activity.

• Keywords
• Alzheimer’s disease, Cholinesterase inhibitors, Electron transport chain complexes, Mitochondrial respiration, Monoamine oxidase, Multitarget-directed ligands,
• MeSH
• Alzheimer Disease drug therapy   MeSH
• Cell Respiration drug effects   MeSH
• Energy Metabolism * drug effects   MeSH
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors pharmacology   MeSH
• Mitochondria drug effects   enzymology   metabolism   MeSH
• Monoamine Oxidase metabolism   MeSH
• Swine MeSH
• Electron Transport Complex II metabolism   MeSH
• Tacrine chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors MeSH
• Monoamine Oxidase MeSH
• Electron Transport Complex II MeSH
• Tacrine MeSH