Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026

Optimized Analysis of In Vivo and In Vitro Hepatic Steatosis
Published on: March 11, 2017
Efficiency of hepatocyte pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 against statin toxicity
Abstract:
Statins are potent cholesterol-lowering drugs that can have serious adverse effects on the muscles and liver. The aim of our in vitro study was to establish the protective effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, in its optimal dose of 200 μmol L⁻¹) against cytotoxicity induced by atorvastatin, simvastatin, and lovastatin in isolated rat hepatocytes by observing parameters such as cell death, reactive oxygen species formation, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cellular reduced and oxidised glutathione content. Our findings have shown that pretreatment with CoQ10 was effective in reducing the toxic effects of statins in rat hepatocytes. This work demonstrates that the addition of CoQ10 to statin treatment regimens may protect hepatocytes (and also other types of cells) from statin-induced injuries and alleviate their side effects.
Related Concept Videos
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Active Drug, Metabolite and Fraction of Metabolized Drug
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Influencing Factors
Hepatic Drug Clearance: Effect of Protein Binding
For low-extraction-ratio drugs that are less than 80% protein-bound, minor changes in protein binding...

