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PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Previous studies have also indicated that GSPT1 directly interacts with the viral polymerases of EBOV and LASV .
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Therefore, decreased NS5 abundance is expected to cause a genome-wide decline in JEV RNA synthesis.
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Viral replication is highly dependent on the host translational apparatus ; consequently, multiple factors involved in translation initiation, elongation, and termination have emerged as promising targets for antiviral therapeutic development .
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Human GSPT1 was initially identified as a key regulator of the G1-to-S phase transition .
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Subsequent studies confirmed that it encodes a core component of the eukaryotic translation termination machinery, specifically functioning as the peptide chain release factor 3a .
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
The antiviral activity of CC-90009 against JEV appears to be both dependent on and specific to the downregulation of GSPT1.
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Similarly, compound 103, a targeted GSPT1 degrader, has been demonstrated to possess broad-spectrum antiviral activity .
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Additionally, CC-90009 has entered clinical trials for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia , which lays the groundwork for the application of GSPT1-deletion-based strategies in treating viral infections.
PMC12736548
CC-90009, a Cereblon E3 Ligase Modulator, Exhibits Antiviral Efficacy Against JEV In Vitro and In Vivo via Targeted Degradation of GSPT1 and Viral NS5 Protein
Further exploration and research are required to elucidate the pharmacological properties, safety profile, and efficacy across different viral models to advance the therapeutic potential of GSPT1 degraders as pan-antiviral agents.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The disparity in outcomes between preclinical and clinical studies supplementing coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in neurological disorders may be a reflection of the differences in the ability of supplemental CoQ10 to access the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in rodents and in humans, which is, in turn, a consequence of contrasting structures of the BBB.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The applicability of in vivo animal models to study access of CoQ10 across the BBB and subsequent neuronal metabolism has, therefore, been questioned, and there is an argument, perhaps surprisingly, that in vitro model systems (particularly 3D cellular systems) may be more appropriate.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In this article, we have, therefore, reviewed the role of model systems to study the access of CoQ10 across the BBB, as well as the role of such systems in studying the role of CoQ10 in aspects of neuronal metabolism, such as mitochondrial and lysosomal function.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In addition, the use of such model systems to study the interactions of CoQ10 with vitamin E and selenium has been reviewed.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Finally, the practical application of a neuronal model system to investigate the effect of CoQ10 supplementation on CoQ10 status and mitochondrial metabolism in a CoQ10 deficiency state has been described.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Clinical studies supplementing coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in disorders such as heart failure have reported significant benefit ; however, the outcomes of clinical trials supplementing CoQ10 in neurological disorders have, in general, been disappointing.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Thus, while promising results have been obtained from preclinical studies supplementing CoQ10 in animal models of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, corresponding randomised controlled trials in these disorders have reported no significant benefit .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
This disparity in outcomes between preclinical and clinical studies may be a reflection of the disparity in the ability of supplemental CoQ10 to access the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in rodents and humans, which is, in turn, a consequence of corresponding structural differences.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
It is of note that in primary CoQ10 deficiency, patients affected in non-CNS tissues (particularly skeletal muscle and kidney) may respond well to supplementation with CoQ10, whereas, in contrast, patients with neurological symptoms in general do not respond well to treatment ; this, in turn, suggests that CoQ10 has difficulty crossing the BBB in humans.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The applicability of in vivo animal models to study access of CoQ10 across the BBB and subsequent neuronal metabolism has, therefore, been questioned, and there is an argument, perhaps surprisingly, that in vitro model systems (particularly 3D cellular systems) may be more appropriate.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In this article, we have therefore reviewed the role of model systems to study access of CoQ10 across the BBB, as well as the role of such systems in studying the role of CoQ10 in aspects of neuronal metabolism, such as mitochondrial and lysosomal function.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Relevant articles in the peer-reviewed literature were identified using the Medline database and the keywords listed in the abstract.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
BBB model systems comprise in vitro cell culture models and in vivo animal-based models.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In vitro BBB models include 2D and 3D cellular systems.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In the so-called Transwell 2D model, a monolayer of endothelial cells is cultured on a permeable membrane with a small semi-permeable insert, separating the system into upper (luminal or blood) compartment and lower (abluminal or parenchymal) compartments.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
While this model is useful for evaluating the permeability of medicinal drugs across the BBB, the monolayer of cells does not replicate the complex 3D structure of the BBB in vivo, and the static nature of the culture lacks the physiological shear stress from blood flow that is crucial for endothelial cell differentiation and maintenance of BBB properties.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The physiological relevance of this model system can be improved by including other cell types (e.g., astrocytes, neurons, or pericytes), as well as incorporating a system to perfuse the endothelium, thereby providing shear stress .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In the brain, the BBB is a tubular structure, which is not accurately replicated using 2D models; 3D models include the different cell types (brain endothelial cells, pericytes, and astrocytes) that form the neurovascular unit (NVU).
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Hydrogel-based models use a supporting collagen matrix to create a 3D environment in which cells can grow and self-assemble into tubular structures, similar to the in vivo microvasculature.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Microfluidic BBB-on-a-chip models are lab-on-a-chip platforms that integrate NVU cells within microchannels to create a perfusable network, allowing for dynamic studies of barrier function, fluid flow, and responses to external stimuli.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
These systems represent models of increasing complexity; 2D models are useful for initial screening and evaluating basic barrier integrity, whereas multicellular models provide a more comprehensive system to study BBB functions, including size-selective transport, the activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pumps, and the functionality of specific transport systems such as the transferrin receptor .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The only in vitro BBB model system used to date to investigate access by CoQ10 is the 2D porcine endothelial monolayer cell model described by Wainwright et al. (Figure 1).
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In this model system, CoQ10 is transported in the apical-to-basal direction (i.e., blood-to-brain side) via lipoprotein-associated transcytosis, interacting with the SR-B1 (Scavenger Receptor) and RAGE (Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products) receptors.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, it is simultaneously effluxed back to the blood side via the LDLR (low-density lipoprotein receptor) transporter, leading to no net accumulation of CoQ10 in the brain.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
When a deficiency of CoQ10 in the model BBB is induced using para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), the BBB becomes leakier, with disrupted tight junctions and poorer integrity; this, in turn, results in increased net CoQ10 transport from the blood side to the brain side.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Some studies in BBB model systems have been reported using the CoQ10 analogues idebenone and mitoquinone .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, although these analogues have antioxidant activity in common with CoQ10, their other intracellular functions differ due to their varying chemical structures; for example, mitoquinone cannot transfer electrons from Complex I to Complex III in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) during oxidative phosphorylation.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The suitability of in vivo rodent-based BBB models to extrapolate data for BBB accessibility of CoQ10 in humans has been questioned because of the differences in the BBB structure and transporter expression, and there is some evidence that the BBB in rodents may be more permeable.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
For example, Uchida et al. reported that protein expression levels of transporters and receptors in the BBB of humans were remarkably smaller than those in the BBB of rats.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Similarly, supplementation with CoQ10 in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been reported to exhibit beneficial effects in reduced oxidative stress and beta-amyloid plaque levels and improved cognitive function .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, in a randomised clinical trial in which 70 patients with mild-to-moderate AD were treated with CoQ10 (400 mg; three times/day) for 16 weeks, no clinical benefit or significant effect on the CSF biomarkers for AD (amyloid-beta and tau protein levels) was reported .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
These data suggest a disparity between BBB accessibility in rodents and in humans.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In another study, Matthews et al. reported a 30% increase in cerebral cortex CoQ10 and coenzyme Q9 (CoQ9, the predominant ubiquinone species in rats) following oral supplementation of 12-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats with CoQ10 (200 mg/kg) for 2 months.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In addition, Smith et al. reported significant (p < 0.01) increases in brain levels of CoQ10 and CoQ9 following supplementation with high-dose (1000–5000 mg/kg) CoQ10 in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, it is uncertain from these studies whether the degree of cerebral uptake of CoQ10 would be sufficient to replenish cellular levels of this quinone in a CoQ10 deficiency state.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Given the suggested limited uptake of CoQ10 across the BBB, therapeutic strategies that may enhance this transport, such as the use of LDLR inhibitors, or interventions to stimulate luminal activity of SR-B1 transporters may be appropriate to ensure sufficient exogenous CoQ10 is available in the cerebral interstitial fluid for metabolically compromised neurons .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
CoQ10 is transported in the blood circulation and bound to low-density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol, irrespective of the initial dietary form (ubiquinone or ubiquinol).
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Accordingly at some point, dietary CoQ10 in the oxidised ubiquinone form must, therefore, be reduced to the ubiquinol form, and this was thought to take place during the absorption process into enterocytes .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
It was, therefore, postulated that supplemental CoQ10 already in ubiquinol form would facilitate the absorption process, resulting in improved bioavailability.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, research carried out by the late Dr William Judy demonstrated that under conditions simulating the environment of the stomach and small intestine in vitro, supplemental ubiquinol is largely oxidised to ubiquinone prior to entry into enterocytes .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
A standard gelatine capsule dissolves in the stomach in approximately 10 min, releasing the ubiquinol into the stomach environment.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The time for ingested material to remain in the stomach can be quite variable, but a reasonable estimate would be about 4 h .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
If the capsule is taken with food, free ubiquinol will be distributed among other stomach contents by the churning action of the stomach.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The stomach represents an oxidising environment , so ubiquinol would be oxidised to ubiquinone during this period, before ever reaching the small intestine and subsequent enterocyte absorption.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In addition, in vivo studies supplementing ubiquinol in dogs similarly showed oxidation of the latter to ubiquinone prior to enterocyte absorption, with the subsequent conversion of ubiquinone back to ubiquinol following the passage from enterocytes into the lymphatic system .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
CoQ10 that has been subjected to a patented crystal modification process shows improved bioavailability .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In a clinical study, Lopez-Lluch and colleagues reported that the bioavailability of a ubiquinol form of a particular CoQ10 supplement was approximately twice that of ubiquinone that had not been subjected to thermal crystal modification, but was only 52% of that of ubiquinone that had been subjected to thermal crystal modification.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Based on the above, there is, therefore, no rationale why the bioavailability (i.e., access to the blood circulation) of the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 should be superior to that of the ubiquinone form, which is a common misconception.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
It has also been suggested that in human subjects, the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) may be able to access the BBB, while the oxidised form of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) is not able to cross the BBB.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Thus, following oral supplementation with ubiquinol, Mitsui et al. reported increased levels of ubiquinol in the CSF of patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA).
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
There are essentially two barriers preventing access of CoQ10 into the human brain: the BBB and the brain CSF barrier (BCSFB).
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The BCSFB is relatively leaky compared to the BBB, and access of CoQ10 (in either ubiquinone or ubiquinol form) into the CSF via the BCSFB does not equate to access of CoQ10 into the brain parenchyma—another common misconception .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
To date there have been no clinical studies in which orally administered CoQ10 has been unambiguously shown to directly cross the BBB and access the human brain.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Whether CoQ10, in either ubiquinone or ubiquinol forms, can access the BBB in humans, and the mechanism by which CoQ10 is then distributed within brain cells, has yet to be elucidated.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In view of the potential limited transport of CoQ10 across the BBB, other strategies may be appropriate to restore cerebral CoQ10 status.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
It has recently been reported that the intermediates 4-hydroxymandelate and 4-hydroxybenzoate may have the potential to cross the BBB and restore cerebral CoQ10 status, serving as a potential treatment for primary CoQ10 deficiencies .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
These intermediates have been investigated in mouse models of mitochondrial disease and were reported to increase cerebral ubiquinone status (CoQ10 plus CoQ9), although no studies have yet investigated the effect of these precursor molecules on CoQ10-deficient human neuronal cells.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Currently, the level of plasma CoQ10 that may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of disease is uncertain.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In a study by Langsjoen and Langsjoen , a blood concentration of approximately 4.1 mM was required before any therapeutic benefit was identified in patients with congestive heart failure.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
No studies to date have assessed this parameter in patients with CoQ10 deficiency, although a study by Lopez and colleagues reported an improvement in bioenergetic status, as indicated by an increased ATP/ADP ratio and normalisation of cellular oxidative stress in CoQ10-deficient fibroblasts following 7 days of supplementation with 5 mM CoQ10.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Interestingly, a comparative circulatory level of CoQ10 was associated with a slowing in the progressive deterioration of function in Parkinson’s disease patients in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Shults and colleagues , which assessed the effect of CoQ10 supplementation in early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Co-administration of CoQ10 and vitamin E has been reported to be of synergistic benefit in both preclinical and clinical studies of neurological disorders .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Such studies raise the question of how vitamin E accesses the brain in comparison to CoQ10.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Access of vitamin E across the BBB involves carrier-mediated transport, which is mediated via the SR-B1 receptor uptake of HDL complexed alpha tocopherol, together with the protein afamin; the inter- and intra-cellular distribution of vitamin E is then controlled by the tocopherol transfer protein.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
As the uptake of vitamin E across the BBB involves the same SR-B1 receptor as that involved in the uptake of CoQ10, one might question whether restricted brain access for either substance might occur as a result of competition for the same transporter.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Indeed, in the porcine in vitro BBB model, alpha tocopherol was found to increase basal-to-apical transport of CoQ10 in control conditions, i.e., towards the blood side.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In the presence of alpha-tocopherol, CoQ10 transport towards the blood side dominated in the PABA-induced CoQ10-deficient BBB model .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
If this translates to clinical CoQ10 deficiency, then alpha-tocopherol co-administration with CoQ10 supplements would tend to reduce CoQ10 delivery towards the brain, the opposite of the desired effect.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In this regard, it is of note that in a Phase II clinical study, CoQ10 in daily doses of 300 mg, 600 mg, or 1200 mg administered to Parkinson’s disease patients resulted in a significant slowing of functional decline .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, in a Phase III study, daily doses of CoQ10 (1200 mg or 2400 mg) administered to Parkinson’s disease patients, together with a daily dose of 1200 IU of vitamin E, had no significant symptomatic benefit, in contrast to the outcome of the Phase II study .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
These data therefore suggest the possibility that co-administration of a high dose of vitamin E could have inhibited access to the brain for CoQ10 via competition for a shared carrier.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
It is also possible that vitamin E may interfere with the absorption of co-administered CoQ10 from the digestive tract via competition for the same transporter (putatively the cholesterol transporter NPC1L1 (Niemann-Pick C1 Like 1) .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Model systems for studying the metabolism of CoQ10 in neurons typically use human SH-SY5Y neuronal cell lines in 2D or 3D culture systems.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a competitive inhibitor of the COQ2 enzyme in the CoQ10 biosynthetic pathway, can be used to induce CoQ10 deficiency to study the effect of CoQ10 deficiency on neuronal metabolism.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
This type of model system has been used to elucidate the action of supplementary CoQ10 in neurological disorders of CoQ10 deficiency and phenylketonuria, as described below.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
At present, the concentration of plasma or cerebral spinal fluid CoQ10 that may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of neurological disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress has yet to be determined.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In vitro studies utilising CoQ10-deficient human fibroblasts have reported an improvement in bioenergetic status and normalisation of cellular oxidative stress following treatment with CoQ10 at a concentration of 5 μM. However, it is uncertain whether this concentration of CoQ10 would be physiologically achievable in human neurons in vivo, i.e., whether CoQ10 is able to cross the human BBB, and have therapeutic potential in the treatment of the neurological symptoms associated with metabolic disease.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
To investigate this question at the biochemical level, we evaluated the effect of treatment with 5 μM CoQ10 on a human neuronal cell model of CoQ10 deficiency .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The human neuronal cell model of CoQ10 deficiency was established using human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In the CoQ10-deficient neuronal cells, supplementing with 5 uM CoQ10 was effective at significantly reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress (p < 0.0005) to below control levels.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
In contrast, CoQ10 supplementation at concentrations of either 5 or 10 uM was only partially effective at restoring MRC enzyme activities to control levels, with complex II/III activity being significantly (p < 0.05) increased to 82.5%, complex I to 71.1%, and IV to 77.7% of control levels following treatment with 10 uM CoQ10.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Treatment with 5 uM CoQ10 was also found to decrease the lysosomal pH of the CoQ10-deficient neurons from 6.2 to 4.4, which is within the pH range of control cells .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The results of this study have indicated that although cellular and mitochondrial oxidative stress in a neuronal cell model of CoQ10 deficiency appear to be attenuated following CoQ10 supplementation with 5 uM CoQ10, MRC enzyme activities were partially refractory to treatment, and supplementation with doses of CoQ10 > 10 uM may be required to restore MRC enzyme activities to control levels.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
However, given the suggested limited uptake of CoQ10 across the human blood–brain barrier, therapeutic strategies that may enhance this transport such as the use of LDLR (low-density lipoprotein related protein −1 receptor) inhibitors, or interventions to stimulate luminal activity of SR-B1 (Scavenger Receptor B1) transporters may be appropriate to ensure sufficient exogenous CoQ10 is available within the interstitial fluid for metabolically compromised neurons .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
This study indicates the potential requirement for high-dose CoQ10 supplementation to treat the neurological presentations of CoQ10 deficiency, although whether this will be able to reach the CoQ10-deficient neurons is still uncertain.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Studies using this model system have demonstrated the key role of CoQ10 for maintaining the acidic pH (quantified via the fluorescent probes Lysotracker or LysoSensor) within neuronal lysosomes, which is essential for their role in the degradation of cellular waste products.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
CoQ10 acts as a proton carrier at the lysosomal membrane, and its deficiency disrupts this process, leading to an increase in lysosomal pH and potentially impairing lysosomal and autophagy functions.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Administration of CoQ10 results in restoration of normal lysosomal pH and neuronal lysosomal function .
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Neurons are particularly susceptible to a build-up of cellular waste products resulting from lysosomal dysfunction, in turn resulting in neurological lysosomal storage disorders including Niemann–Pick disease, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), Batten’s disease, Gaucher’s disease, and Krabbe’s disease.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
The potential role of supplementary CoQ10 in the treatment of patients with lysosomal storage disorders is an area in the early stages of clinical research.
PMC12837543
Blood–Brain Barrier and Neuronal Model Systems for Studying CoQ10 Metabolism
Model systems based on the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line have also been used to elucidate the mechanism(s) of intracellular CoQ10 transport, as described in the following section of this article.