Mechanism of action responsible for Ubiquinol-10 decelerating effects on senescence and age-associated hearing loss

Kaneka Corporation (headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President: Mr. Kimikazu Sugawara) announced today that research in collaboration with Dr. Keiichi Higuchi (Professor of the Department of Aging Biology Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine) reveals that Ubiquinol-10 decelerates senescence and age-associated hearing loss by a mechanism of activation of mitochondrial function through the expression of sirtuin genes (known as long life genes). This research was published online ahead of print on December 14 in international scientific journal of “Antioxidants & Redox Signaling” in the redox biology field.

Kaneka Corporation, in collaboration with Dr. Higuchi (Yan J et al. Exp Gerontol 2006), reported in 2006 that repeated administration of Ubiquinol-10 from the juvenile stage decelerated aging in senescence-accelerated (SAMP1) mice. Moreover, supplementation of the diets of young, middle aged and old SAMP1 mice with Ubiquinol-10, starting at 1, 7, and 13 months of age respectively, resulted in deceleration of age-associated hearing loss. In the control group all mice developed hearing abnormalities in the high-tone range at the age of 7 months and in the midrange at the age of 13 months. All mice developed nearly completely loss of hearing at the age of 19 months whereas in the Ubiquinol-10 group hearing abnormality in high, middle and low frequencies was reduced or tended to be reduced when Ubiquinol-10 was supplemented starting at 1, 7, and 13 months of age. These results were reported in 2011 at 8th annual meeting of Japanese Coenzyme Q Association and 11th annual meeting of Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine.

In the subsequent research related to the mechanism of the above-mentioned effects of Ubiquinol-10 it was found that Ubiquinol-10 supplementation suppressed (effectively reversed) the decrease in expression of sirtuin genes (Sirt1, Sirt3), the reduced mitochondria levels and the decreased mitochondrial function with ageing in SAMP1 mice. It has been suggested that Sirt3 plays an essential role in decelerating age-associated hearing loss, and that a decrease in mitochondrial function leads to aging or a lifestyle-related diseases. Therefore it was suggested that Ubiquinol-10 supplementation may delay aging and slow the development of age-associated hearing loss by increasing mitochondria levels and activating its function through expression of sirtuin genes. Furthermore, since it is known that proper exercise and caloric restriction can slow aging and the progression of lifestyle-related diseases by increasing expression of sirtuin genes, Ubiquinol-10 may also decelerate aging and the development of lifestyle-related diseases by a similar mechanism.