The effects of Coenzyme Q10 on locomotor and behavioral activity in young and aged C57BL/6 mice.

To explore the possibility that Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation stabilizes psychomotor behavioral function in the aging organism, the behavioral effects of CoQ10 were evaluated in young adult male C57BL/6 mice (3 months of age) and aged C57BL/6 mice (24 months of age). Mice treated with CoQ10 exhibited significantly greater locomotor activity as reflected by an increase in square crosses than non-drug controls. The administration of CoQ10 increased all aspects of exploratory behavior in the open field. The effect was uniform across all mice and did not interact with age. Younger animals and aged animals treated with CoQ10 may adapt rapidly to novel areas, or they are less fearful of exploration. The behavioral activation observed in CoQ10 treated mice may be the result of increased locomotor activity, psychomotor stimulation, or decreased anxiety.