Ubiquinol Activates Immune Response to Influenza – Animal Study

The effect of ubiquinol was assessed by examining: 1) Virus yield in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lungs, 2) The antibody titers in the BALF and the blood sera.

12/13/2010 --- Kaneka Corporation have confirmed the effect of ubiquinol on type A influenza virus infection in mice in collaboration with Prof. Toshimitsu Hayashi, University of Toyama.

Mice were intranasally infected with influenza virus (H1N1 subtype) and ubiquinol was administered from 7 days before the infection until 3 or 7 days after the infection. The effect of ubiquinol was assessed by examining: 1) Virus yield in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lungs, 2) The antibody titers in the BALF and the blood sera.

As a result, the virus yield was suppressed in the ubiquinol-treated group which showed 19-24% and 49-52% of the control group in the BALF and the lungs, respectively, with statistically significant changes. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) suppressed the antibody titer for the virus, but ubiquinol kept the antibody titer level similar to the control group. In addition, the combination effect was confirmed when ubiquinol is co-administered with Probiotics.

Ubiquinol was considered to activate an immune response and suppressed the growth of the influenza virus in this animal study, since it is suggested that ubiquinol did not have the direct anti-viral effect. The effect of ubiquinol on influenza virus infection was demonstrated for the first time and its results are in preparation for publication in the near future.