Protective effect of coenzyme Q10 in paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible protective effect of coenzyme Q10 (CQ10) on neuropathy in rats.

METHODS: Experiments were conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey between January and March 2012. Forty rats were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (control), group 2 (paclitaxel), group 3 (control + CQ10), and group 4 (paclitaxel + CQ10). Group 2 and 4 rats received paclitaxel (2 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, on days 0, 2, 4, 6). Group 3 and 4 rats were treated with CQ10 (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). The rats that did not receive paclitaxel or CQ10 received vehicle. Mechanical allodynia tests were performed for each animal on day 0, 2, 6, 8, 10, 14, 16, 19, 39 and 41 for all groups with von Frey filaments.

RESULTS: At day 0, mean mechanical withdrawal thresholds were similar among all groups. Starting from day 2, the threshold of the paclitaxel group decreased. Starting from day 10, paclitaxel+CQ10 treated rats had significantly higher thresholds compared with the paclitaxel group, but these values were still significantly lower than that of the controls. Control and control + CQ10 rats had similar threshold values during the protocol.

CONCLUSION: The CQ10 treatment decreased the degree of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in rats.