Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential component for energy production that exhibits antioxidant activity, is considered a health-supporting and antiaging supplement. However, intervention-controlled studies have provided variable results on CoQ10 supplementation benefits, which may be attributed to individual CoQ10 bioavailability differences. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and CoQ10 serum levels after long-term supplementation. CoQ10 levels at baseline and after one year of supplementation (150 mg) were determined, and eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cholesterol metabolism and CoQ10 absorption, efflux, and cellular uptake related genes were assessed. Rs2032582 (ABCB1) and rs1761667 (CD36) were significantly associated with a higher increase in CoQ10 levels in women. In addition, in women, rs3808607 (CYP7A1) and rs2072183 (NPC1L1) were significantly associated with a higher increase in CoQ10 per total cholesterol levels. Subgroup analyses showed that these four SNPs were useful for classifying high- or low-responder to CoQ10 bioavailability after long-term supplementation among women, but not in men. On the other hand, in men, no SNP was found to be significantly associated with increased serum CoQ10. These results collectively provide novel evidence on the relationship between genetics and CoQ10 bioavailability after long-term supplementation, which may help understand and assess CoQ10 supplementation effects, at least in women.
Keywords: bioavailability; cholesterol; coenzyme Q10; single nucleotide polymorphisms.