A pilot study exploring the effects of ubiquinol on brain genomics after traumatic brain injury

Abstract Background Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of morbidity and mortality that affects military service members and veterans. Purpose Explore the effects of ubiquinol before traumatic brain injury on cerebral gene expression to elucidate molecular mechanisms of ubiquinol neuroprotection. Method In this experimental study, Fisher rats in the untreated ( n = 2) and ubiquinol-treated ( n = 2) groups received respectively either normal saline or ubiquinol 30 min before traumatic brain injury induced by controlled cortical impact. Ribonucleic acid sequencing and ingenuity pathway analysis were conducted to detect cerebral gene and signaling expression profiles. Discussion In the ubiquinol-treated group, 67 ingenuity pathway analysis transcripts in the ubiquinol-treated group were statistically different from those in the untreated group ( p Conclusions Administering ubiquinol 30 min before traumatic brain injury significantly affected cerebral gene expression profiles that may be involved in the most fundamental molecular mechanisms of bioenergetics and free radical production.