MitoQ10 induces adipogenesis and oxidative metabolism in myotube cultures

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays an essential role in determination of mitochondrial membrane potential and substrate utilization in all metabolically important tissues. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of Coenzyme Q analog (MitoQ10) on oxidative phenotype and adipogenesis in myotubes derived from fast-glycolytic Pectoralis major (PM) and slow-oxidative Anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscles of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). The myotubes were subjected to the following treatments: fusion media alone, fusion media + 125 nM MitoQ10, and 500 nM MitoQ10. Lipid accumulation was visualized by Oil Red O staining and quantified by measuring optical density of extracted lipid at 500 nm. Quantitative Real-Time PCR was utilized to quantify the expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) and PPARγ co-activator-1α (PGC-1α). MitoQ10 treatment resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) lipid accumulation in PM myotubes. MitoQ10 up-regulated genes controlling oxidative mitochondrial biogenesis and adipogenesis in PM myotube cultures. In contrast, MitoQ10 had a limited effect on adipogenesis and down-regulated oxidative metabolism in ALD myotube cultures. Differential response to MitoQ10 treatment may be dependent on the cellular redox state. MitoQ10 likely controls a range of metabolic pathways through its differential regulation of gene expression levels in myotubes derived from fast-glycolytic and slow-oxidative muscles.