Ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10 levels in umbilical cord blood of healthy foetuses and the venous blood of their mothers

Free Radic Res. 2010 Nov;44(11):1338-44. doi: 10.3109/10715762.2010.503758.

Abstract

Despite their being good markers of oxidative stress for clinical use, little is known about ubiquinol-10 (reduced coenzyme Q10) and ubiquinone-10 (oxidized coenzyme Q10) levels in foetuses and their mothers. This study investigates oxidative stress in 10 healthy maternal venous, umbilical arterial and venous bloods after vaginal delivery by measuring ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10 levels. Serum ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10 levels were measured by HPLC with a highly sensitive electrochemical detector. Maternal venous ubiquinol-10 and ubiquinone-10 levels were significantly higher than umbilical arterial and venous levels (all p < 0.001). However, the ubiquinone-10/total coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) ratio, which reflects the redox status, was significantly higher in umbilical arterial and umbilical venous blood compared to maternal venous blood (all p < 0.001). The ubiquinone-10/total CoQ10 ratio was higher in umbilical arterial than in umbilical venous blood (p < 0.01). The present study demonstrated that foetuses were under higher oxidative stress than their mothers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Fetal Blood / chemistry
  • Fetal Blood / metabolism*
  • Fetus*
  • Humans
  • Mothers
  • Pregnancy / blood*
  • Ubiquinone / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ubiquinone / blood
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Ubiquinone
  • Ubiquinone Q2
  • ubiquinol