pressure on a particular joint or a degeneration of cartilage matrix, resulting in a loss of cartilage. However, the current paradigm of OA has shifted from the concept of ����wear and tear���� disease to the inflammation-mediated disease. Inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, chemokines and reactive oxygen species are produced in OA joint tissues, which ultimately affect joint tissues leading to the release of matrix metalloproteinases and eventually cartilage degradation. Although OA is the most common joint disease causing functional disability, disease modifying OA drugs are still lacking, and current treatments 3-MA mainly focus on pain relief. 19130-96-2 Recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis OA is expected to lead to better therapies that can modify the disease progression. Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone-10, is a lipid with a structure consisting of 1,4-benzoquinone and side chain of 10 isoprenyl subunits. The essential role of CoQ10 is to produce adenosine triphosphate in the mitochondria as a coenzyme for mitochondrial enzymes, which are involved in oxidative phosphorylation pathway. Additionally, CoQ10 is known to be a powerful antioxidant that can inhibit peroxidation of the cell membrane lipids and plasma lipoproteins, thus preventing atherosclerosis. More recently, several studies have also shown the anti-inflammatory effects of CoQ10, and the therapeutic role of CoQ10 in inflammatory disorder has been investigated. Buerova et al. showed that treatment with CoQ10 had an antiarthritic and antioxidative effect in adjuvant induced arthritis model. As OA is regarded as a disease of perpetuating low grade inflammation, it is plausible that CoQ10 might have a therapeutic role in OA as well. To our knowledge, a therapeutic effect of CoQ10 in an OA animal model has never been published. In this study, the effect of CoQ10 on pain and cartilage degradation in a rat model of OA was investigated. The MIA-treated rats were randomized to each experimental group. The nociceptive testing was performed using a dynamic plantar esthesiometer, an automated version of the von Frey hair assessment procedure, before the MIA injection and on the given day after MIA
