Coenzyme Q₁₀ Sunscreen Prevents Progression of Ultraviolet-Induced Skin Damage in Mice

The level of sun ultraviolet ray reaching the surface of the earth is increasing severely due to the rapid development of the society and environmental destruction. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes skin damage and photoaging. Therefore, it is emerged to develop effective sunscreen to prevent ultraviolet-induced skin damage. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) sunscreen on the prevention of ultraviolet B radiation- (UVB-) induced mouse skin damage. Three-month-old female mice were used, and they were randomly divided into four groups: control, model, CoQ₁₀, and titanium dioxide (TiO₂; positive control) groups. Our results showed that body weight, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, and DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) protein expression were significantly decreased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) activity and metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) level were increased in UVB-treated mice. Besides, the stratum corneum was shed from the skin surface in the model group compared with the control group. In contrast, CoQ10 sunscreen prevented from UVB-induced skin damage, as well as reversing SOD, GSH-Px, and MDA activities, and MMP-1 and DNMT1 levels. Taken together, the current study provided further evidence on the prevention of UVB-induced skin damage by CoQ₁₀ and its underlying mechanisms.