Reproduction and Fertility

MEDLINE EXPRESS (R) 1/97-9/97 45 of 45

TI: Coenzyme Q10 in pregnancy.
 AU: Noia-G; Littarru-GP; De-Santis-M; Oradei-A; Mactromarino-C; Trivellini-C; Caruso-A
SO: Fetal-Diagn-Ther. 1996 Jul-Aug; 11(4): 264-70
AB: Our objectives were to assess the plasma coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels in normal pregnancy, in pregnancy with a spontaneous contractile event, in spontaneous abortion and in threatened abortion. Six hundred and fifteen CoQ10 levels were analyzed in 483 pregnant women: 350 patients were employed to design a normal curve; 66 patients with spontaneous  contractile activity underwent two or more CoQ10 analyses in different trimesters; 49 patients presented spontaneous abortion, and 18 patients threatened abortion. The normal curve of plasma CoQ10 levels rises during each trimester of pregnancy, while there is a correspondence between a low CoQ10 level and spontaneous abortion. Furthermore we found a statistically significant difference between the plasma CoQ10 value in spontaneous contractile activity, mainly in the third trimester. We found  an increase in the plasma CoQ10 level in relation to the contractile activity of the uterine muscle. Further studies are necessary to explain the involvement of this marker on pregnancy in clinical practice.

MEDLINE EXPRESS (R) 1991-1995 48 of 469

TI: Coenzyme Q: potentially useful index of bioenergetic and oxidative status of spermatozoa.
AU: Angelitti-AG; Colacicco-L; Calla-C; Arizzi-M; Lippa-S
SO: Clin-Chem. 1995 Feb; 41(2): 217-9
AB: The  concentration of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a key intermediate of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, was determined in spermatozoa of 13 fertile subjects, 8 potentially fertile patients, and 12 infertile patients. CoQ10 concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in infertile patients than in fertile and potentially fertile subjects. The difference between potentially fertile and fertile subjects was also significant (P < 0.001). We propose that a decrease in consumption of CoQ10  in both infertile and potentially fertile populations is due to an autoregulatory mechanism of ATP production.

MEDLINE EXPRESS (R) 1991-1995 60 of 469

TI: Coenzyme Q10 levels in human seminal fluid: diagnostic and clinical implications.
AU: Mancini-A; Conte-B; De-Marinis-L; Hallgass-ME; Pozza-D; Oradei-A; Littarru-GP
SO: Mol-Aspects-Med. 1994; 15 Suppl: s249-55
AB: The levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) were determined by HPLC in seminal fluid samples  obtained from 77 patients who performed a standard semen analysis for infertility, previous phlogosis or varicocele. CoQ10 was determined in total seminal fluid (n = 60), in seminal plasma (n = 44) and in the cell pellet (n = 37). The molecule, in total fluid, showed a linear correlation with sperm count and motility. In the pellet of spermatozoa, a trend toward an inverse correlation between CoQ10 (expressed as ng/10(6) cells) and semen parameters could be observed. A different pattern was  shown in varicocele patients, in whom, in total fluid, the correlation between CoQ10 and sperm count was preserved, but the one between CoQ10 and sperm motility was lacking; moreover, a higher proportion of CoQ10 was present in seminal plasma, and the inverse trend between cellular CoQ10 and sperm count and motility was not observed. These data suggest a pathophysiological role of ubiquinone in human seminal fluid and a molecular defect in the spermatozoa of varicocele patients.

MEDLINE EXPRESS (R) 1991-1995 76 of 469

TI: Coenzyme Q10 concentrations in normal and pathological human seminal fluid.
AU: Mancini-A; De-Marinis-L; Oradei-A; Hallgass-ME; Conte-G; Pozza-D; Littarru-GP
SO: J-Androl. 1994 Nov-Dec; 15(6): 591-4
AB: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels were assayed in total seminal fluid or both in seminal fluid and seminal plasma in 77 subjects with normal or pathological findings at standard semen analysis. CoQ10 levels showed a  significant correlation with sperm count and with sperm motility. An interesting exception was constituted by patients with varicocele, in whom the correlation with sperm concentration was preserved, whereas the correlation with sperm motility was lacking. Moreover, they showed an increased ratio of plasma CoQ to total seminal CoQ10 in comparison with the other subjects. These data suggest a pathophysiological meaning of CoQ10 in human seminal fluid and a possible molecular defect in varicocele patients. CoQ10 measurement could represent an important examination in infertile patients; moreover, from these results a rationale might arise for a possible treatment with exogenous CoQ10 in dyspermic patients.