To explore the effects of coenzyme Q10(CoQ10) on high-fat diet-induced obesity, lipid disorders, and bile acid metabolism in mice.

Eight-week-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group(regular chow), high-fat diet group(45% high-fat chow), and CoQ10 intervention group(45% high-fat chow+ 100 mg·kg^-1·d^-1CoQ10) based on their body weights according to the randomized block design. The body weight and food intake of mice in each group were collected. The levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase were detected. The contents of 17 bile acids in serum, liver, and colon contents of mice were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass(UPLC-MS/MS). The protein expressions of cholesterol 12α-hydroxylase(CYP8B1) and oxysterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7B1) in liver were detected by Western blotting.

CoQ10 significantly reduced body weight and ameliorated lipid metabolism disorders in mice fed a high-fat diet. Compared with the control group, serum total bile acid levels were reduced in the high-fat diet group(P<0.05); CoQ10 intervention elevated serum and colonic total bile acid levels(P=0.021, P=0.014) and increased liver, colon, and serum deoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid levels(P<0.05) in the mice compared with the high-fat diet group. Both colonic and serum deoxycholic acid levels in the CoQ10 intervention group were negatively correlated with body weights(P=0.024, P=0.019), and colonic deoxycholic acid and total cholesterol levels were also negatively correlated(P=0.006). CoQ10 increased the expression of CYP8B1 and CYP7B1 proteins in the liver of mice.

CoQ10 can modulate bile acid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed mice and alleviate their obesity and lipid metabolism disorders.

Coenzyme Q10; Obesity; Dyslipidemia; Bile acid