Adaptive changes in coenzyme Q biosynthesis to myocardial reperfusion in young and aged rats

This study investigated the biosynthesis of ubiquinone in isolated and perfused hearts of young and aged rats exposed to ischemia and reperfusion. A first group of hearts was used to determine the changes in coenzyme Q9 (CoQ9) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) concentrations at mitochondrial and microsomal level after 30 min of ischemia (98% reduction of the preischemic flow) and 60 min of reperfusion. A second group was utilized to evaluate the rate of CoQ9 and CoQ10 biosynthesis in the membranes by dissolving two ubiquinone precursors, p-OH-[U-14C]benzoate and mevalonolactone, in the perfusion buffer. The hearts were aerobically perfused for 60 min in the presence of the precursors either immediately after the equilibration period or following 30 min ischemia. The young rat hearts showed a 30% reduction in the mitochondrial levels of CoQ9 after ischemia and reperfusion with respect to the preischemic values (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). On the contrary, the mitochondrial CoQ9 content was not modified under these conditions in the aged hearts. At the end of reperfusion, the biosynthesis of mitochondrial CoQ9 and CoQ10 was higher in the young rats (P < 0.05), and lower in the aged rats (P < 0.05), with respect to the aerobic perfusion. In both young and aged rats minor changes in CoQ9 concentrations and biosynthesis were observed at microsomal level. These results indicate that myocardial reperfusion decreases the mitochondrial content of ubiquinone and stimulates CoQ9 biosynthesis in young rats but not in aged rats.