The Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and Curcumin on Chronic Methanol Intoxication Induced Retinopathy in Rats
Niphon Chirapapaisan MD*, Mongkol Uiprasertkul MD**, Aporn Chuncharunee MSc***
Affiliation : * Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand ** Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand *** Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : The retinal pathophysiology of methanol intoxication is that formate inhibits retinal mitochondrial function and
increases oxidative stress.
Objective : To investigate the effect of coenzyme Q10 and curcumin on chronic methanol intoxication causing retinopathy in
rats.
Material and Method: The authors designed an experimental study of chronic methanol intoxication in rats depleted of folate
with methotrexate. The studied group received methanol (2 mg/kg body weight in saline by intraperitoneal injection) and
methotrexate (0.1 mg/kg body weight in saline by subcutaneous injection) every other day for ten weeks to induce chronic
methanol intoxication, while another group received saline as vehicle and served as control group. The studied rats were
confirmed to develop significant retinopathy after 10 weeks and then assigned to three treatment arms: either corn oil (as
control) or coenzyme Q10 (20 mg/kg/day) or Curcuma longa extract (2.5 mg/kg/day) for four weeks. Eyes were enucleated
and the retinal tissue was prepared for histological examination. The sections were evaluated by an experienced pathologist
and blinded to the experimental conditions.
Results : Histological analysis revealed that animals treated with both methanol and methotrexate showed vacuolation of
photoreceptor inner segment and disaggregation of cells in the inner and outer nuclear layers of the retina compared to a
normal histological appearance in control animals. The retinal histology in the experimental animals with administration of
Coenzyme Q10 or Curcuma longa extract appeared essentially normal and this was not found in the experimental animals
which received corn oil.
Conclusion : Coenzyme Q10 and curcumin administration improves retinal histology by reversing the pathological changes
due to chronic methanol and establish a morphologically normal retina.
Keywords : Methanol, Coenzyme Q10, Curcumin, Retinopathy, Optic neuropathy
