Original Scientific Article
The impact of micellar Coenzyme Q10 and liposomal Coenzyme Q10 on TNF-α and IL-1β in cisplatin
Icko K. Gjorgoski
,
Emilija Shikole
,
Marija Glavas Dodov
,
Majlinda Ademi
,
Elena Rafailovska
,
Dushko Shalabalija
,
Valdrina Ajeti
,
Dimche Zafirov
,
Jasmina Trojachanec
,
Marija Cvijanovikj
Received: 08 May 2025
Received in revised form: 22 August 2025
Accepted: 15 October 2025
Available Online First: 25 February 2026
Published on: 15 March 2026
Abstract
Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, but its clinical application is often limited due to its nephrotoxic effects, largely mediated through proinflammatory cytokines. This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of micellar and liposomal formulations of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in modulating serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in a rat model of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Ninety Wistar rats were divided into control group and five experimental groups receiving various treatments, including cisplatin alone, micellar CoQ10, liposomal CoQ10, and combinations thereof. Serum concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β were measured at defined intervals using ELISA. The results demonstrated that both formulations of CoQ10 significantly reduced cytokine levels compared to cisplatin-only treated rats, with the liposomal form yielding superior anti-inflammatory effects. These findings suggest that liposomal CoQ10 may offer a more effective strategy for mitigating inflammation and nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin.
Keywords: Coenzyme Q10, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, rats
References
-
Brown, A., Kumar, S., Tchounwou, P.B. (2019). Cisplatin-based chemotherapy of human J Cancer Sci Ther. 11(4): 97.
-
Hanigan, M.H., Devarajan, P. (2003). Cisplatin nephrotoxicity: molecular mechanisms. Cancer 1, 47-61.
-
Shikole, E., Gjorgoski, I., Glavas Dodov, M., Kocheva, N., Trojachanec, J., Zafirov, D. (2022). The effect of Coenzyme Q10 in cisplatin induced myelosuppression in Maced Pharm Bull. 68 (Suppl. 1): 385-386.
https://doi.org/10.33320/maced.pharm.bull.2022.68.03.186
-
Ramesh, G., Reeves, W.B. (2002). TNF-α mediates chemokine and cytokine expression and renal injury in cisplatin nephrotoxicity. J Clin Invest. 110(6): 835-842.
https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI200215606 PMid:12235115 PMCid:PMC151130
-
Zhang, B., Ramesh, G., Norbury, C.C., Reeves, W.B. (2007). Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is mediated by tumor necrosis factor-α produced by renal parenchymal cells. Kidney Int. 72(1): 37-44.
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ki.5002242 PMid:17396112
-
Tripathi, P., Alshahrani, S. (2021). Mitigation of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and markers of apoptosis by ursolic acid against cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity in rats. Hum Exp Toxicol. 40(12_Suppl.): S397-S405.
https://doi.org/10.1177/09603271211045953 PMid:34569348
-
Lee, S., Kim, W., Moon, S.-O., Sung, M.J., Kim, D.H., Kang, K.P., Jang, Y.B., Lee, J.E., Jang, K.Y., Park, S.K. (2006). Rosiglitazone ameliorates cisplatin-induced renal injury in mice. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 21(8): 2096-2105.
https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfl194 PMid:16728429
-
Aupperle, K.R., Bennett, B.L., Boyle, D.L., Tak, P.P., Manning, A.M., Firestein, G.S., (1999). NF-kappa B regulation by I kappa B kinase in primary fibroblast- like synoviocytes. J Immunol. 163(1): 427-433.
https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.163.1.427 PMid:10384145
-
Alhusaini, A., Fadda, L., Albogami, L., Alnaim, N., Sarawi, , Mattar, D., Hasan, I., (2022). Liposomal coenzyme Q10 abates inflammation, apoptosis and DNA damage induced by an overdose of paracetamol in rat's liver. J King Saud Univ-Sci. 34(6): 102144.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksus.2022.102144
-
Celik, B., Sağıroğlu, A.A., Özdemir, S. (2017). Design, optimization and characterization of coenzyme Q10- and D-panthenyl triacetate-loaded liposomes. Int J Nanomedicine. 12, 4869-4878.
https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S140835 PMid:28744121 PMCid:PMC5511013
-
Fouad, A.A., Al-Sultan, A.I., Refaie, S.M., Yacoubi, M.T. (2010). Coenzyme Q10 treatment ameliorates acute cisplatin nephrotoxicity in mice. Toxicology 274(1-3): 49-56.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2010.05.007 PMid:20510337
- Fatima, S., Al-Mohaimeed, N., Al-Shaikh, Y., Tyagi, P., Banu, N., Hasan, S., Arjumand, S. (2016). Combined treatment of epigallocatechin gallate and Coenzyme Q10 attenuates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity via suppression of oxidative/nitrosative stress, inflammation and cellular damage. Food Chem Toxicol. 94, 213-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2016.05.023 PMid:27265264
- Mohamed, H.A., Said, R.S. (2021). Coenzyme Q10 attenuates inflammation and fibrosis implicated in radiation enteropathy through suppression of NF-kB/ TGF-β/MMP-9 pathways. Int Immunopharmacol. 92, 107347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2020.107347 PMid:33418245
- McRae, M.P. (2023). Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in reducing inflammation: an umbrella review. J Chiropr Med. 22(2): 131-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2022.07.001 PMid:37346240 PMCid:PMC10280088
- Li, H., Chen, F. (2017). Preparation and quality evaluation of coenzyme Q10 long-circulating liposomes. Saudi J Biol Sci. 24(4): 797-802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.10.025 PMid:28490948 PMCid:PMC5415142
- Shalabalija, D., Mihailova, L., Crcarevska, M.S., Karanfilova, I.C., Ivanovski, V., Nestorovska, A.K., Novotni, G., Dodov, M.G. (2021). Formulation and optimization of bioinspired rosemary extract loaded PEGylated nanoliposomes for potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease using design of experiments. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol. 63, 102434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102434
- Dinarello, C.A. (2000). Proinflammatory cytokines. Chest 118(2): 503-508. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.118.2.503 PMid:10936147
- Semenzato, G. (1990). Tumour necrosis factor: a cytokine with multiple biological Br J Cancer. 61(3): 354-361. https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1990.78 PMid:2183871 PMCid:PMC1971301
- Grace, P.A. (1994). Ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Br J Surg. 81(5): 637-647. https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.1800810504 PMid:8044536
- Peng, J., Ma, J., Zhang, L., Lu, B. (2020). Coenzyme Q10 attenuates airway inflammation and oxidative stress in neonatal asthmatic rats. Trop J Pharm Res. 19(9): 1969-1975. https://doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v19i9.24
- Al-Megrin, W.A., Soliman, D., Kassab, R.B., Metwally, D.M., Moneim, A.E.A. El-Khadragy, M.F. (2020). Coenzyme Q10 activates the antioxidant machinery and inhibits the inflammatory and apoptotic cascades against lead acetate-induced renal injury in rats. Front Physiol. 11, 64. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00064 PMid:32116774 PMCid:PMC7020615
- Mantle, D., Heaton, R.A., Hargreaves, I.P. (2021). Coenzyme Q10 and immune function: an overview. Antioxidants (Basel). 10(5): 759. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10050759 PMid:34064686 PMCid:PMC8150987
- Pastor-Maldonado, C.J., Suárez-Rivero, J.M., Povea-Cabello, S., Álvarez-Córdoba, M., Villalón- García, , Munuera- Cabeza, M., Suárez-Carrillo, A., et al. (2020). Coenzyme Q10: novel formulations and medical trends. Int J Mol Sci. 21(22): 8432. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21228432 PMid:33182646 PMCid:PMC7697799
- Zhang, Y. (2019). A review of the delivery system of coenzyme-Q10 based on nanotechnology. IOP Conf Series: Earth and Environ Sci. 242(4): 042003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/242/4/042003
Copyright
©2026 Gjorgoski I.K. This is an open-access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declared that they have no financial or non-financial conflict of interest regarding authorship and publication of this article.
Citation Information
Macedonian Veterinary Review. Volume 49, Issue 1, Pages i-vi, e-ISSN 1857-7415, p-ISSN 1409-7621, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/macvetrev-2026-0013