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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Using Caco-2 Cells to Study Lipid Transport by the Intestine
Published on: August 20, 2015
Nanoliposomes mediate coenzyme Q10 transport and accumulation across human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayer
Shuqin Xia1, Shiying Xu, Xiaoming Zhang
1State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
Abstract:
The feasibility of using nanoliposomes as an oral delivery system to improve the intestinal absorption of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10), ubiquinone-10) was examined using Caco-2 cell monolayers as the model of human intestinal epithelium. The apparent permeability coefficient of CoQ(10) with nanoliposomes as vehicles was increased to be 4.19 +/- 0.76 x 10(-6) cm/s, which was higher than the favorable intestinal absorption value (1 x 10(-6) cm/s). The kinetic data demonstrated that nanoliposomal CoQ(10) transport occurred via passive diffusion and carrier mediation routes. Nanoliposomes might suppress the modulation activity of the peptide transporter, organic anion transporter, and P-glycoprotein through fluidizing cell membrane. The transported CoQ(10) was still in the original oxidative form as ubiquinone-10. However, 70-80% of coenzyme Q(10) accumulated by the cells was in the reduced form (ubiquinol-10, CoQ(10)H(2)), suggesting that the conversion of CoQ(10) to CoQ(10)H(2) takes place in the enterocytes during its absorption. These results indicated that the absorption behavior of CoQ(10) was modified through nanoliposomes. The bioavailability of CoQ(10) following its oral administration might be improved with nanoliposomes as the delivery system.
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