Coenzyme Q10 effectively prevents age-related hearing loss in C57BL/6 Mice

Abstract

Introduction: Presbycusis is characterized by gradual, progressive sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of coenzyme Q10 in the prevention and treatment of age-related hearing loss.

Materials and Method: Thirty-two C57BL/6 mice were assigned into four groups as early treatment, late treatment, control and sham control. Treatment was started at three months of age in the early treatment group and at six months in the late treatment group. The auditory brainstem test was performed once every three months. At the end of the study period, the cochleae of the animals were harvested, and Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, iNOS, COX-2, NF-kappa B, Bax, and Bak levels were analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results: The hearing thresholds of the mice in the early treatment group were better than those of the other groups (p < 0.001). Hearing levels were also better in the late treatment group than control groups, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The threshold shift in the early treatment group was significantly lower than the control groups (p < 0.001). The mRNA expression levels of proapoptotic genes Bax and Bak were lower (p < 0.05), antiapoptotic genes Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were higher (p < 0.05), and the NF-kappa B, COX-2, and iNOS genes, which play a role in inflammation, were lower (p < 0.05) in the early treatment group.

Conclusion: These results suggest that coenzyme Q10 effectively attenuates the presentation of age-related hearing loss, especially when started before the onset of hearing loss.