EFFECT OF COENZYME Q10 ALONE AND ITS COMBINATION WITH ROSUVASTATIN ON STREPTOZOTOCIN-NICOTINAMIDE INDUCED DIABETIC NEUROPATHY IN RATS

Objectives: This study was aimed to investigate the effect of coenzyme Q10 and its combination with rosuvastatin on STZ-nicotinamide induced diabetic neuropathy.Methods: Diabetic neuropathy in rats were induced with streptozotocin-nicotinamide. The diabetic rats were treated with coenzyme Q10 or rosuvastatin or their combination. Various parameters like muscular grip strength, paw withdrawal response, tail flick response and markers of oxidative stress such as malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the sciatic nerve were measured. All treated animal was subjected to histopathological changes of sciatica nerve.Results: In diabetic control group, muscular grip strength was significantly decreased and increased paw withdrawal response, tail flick response as compared to normal control rats. In addition, STZ-nicotinamide caused nerve cell damage with a higher MDA level, depletion of SOD and GSH level along with marked degeneration of the nerve cell. The treatment of diabetic rats with coenzyme Q10 or rosuvastatin or their combination ameliorate STZ-nicotinamide induced nerve damage due to improvement in the muscular grip strength, paw withdrawal response, tail flick response, reduction in oxidative stress along with histopathological changes.Conclusion: This finding suggests that treatment with coenzyme Q10 or rosuvastatin showed significant neuroprotective effect against STZ-nicotinamide induced diabetic neuropathy. However, concomitant administration of both showed a better neuroprotective effect than coenzyme Q10 or rosuvastatin alone treatment.Â