Pharmacokinetics of coenzyme Q10 in recovery of acute sensorineural hearing loss due to hypoxia.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has already been favorably evaluated in the clinical treatment of heart disease. In the otolaryngological field, it has been reported that CoQ10 is effective in promoting recovery from acute sudden deafness. However, the pharmakinetics of CoQ10 in the inner ear is not yet clarified. The present study focuses upon the pharmacokinetics of CoQ10 using guinea pigs with acute sensorineural hearing loss artificially induced by hypoxia conditions. The respiration of the animals was controlled in an artificial respirator while the ABR, ECG and blood pressure were monitored. Repeated hypoxia caused a gradual disappearance of the ABR. After the experiments, the animals were sacrificed and brain and inner ear were examined by histological and histochemical methods as well as by SEM and TEM. The results indicated that CoQ10 is effective in promoting recovery from damage in auditory hairs as well as preventing respiratory metabolic impairment of hair cell due to hypoxia.