Combined effect of BCG and coenzyme Q10 on ATP-ase activity and coenzyme Q content in spleen lymphocytes of tumor-bearing rats.

Effect of BCG, coenzyme Q10, or their combination on ATPase activity in spleen lymphocytes of tumor-bearing rats was investigated in relation to changes in the content of individual coenzyme Q homologs in these cells. Contents of both coenzyme Q9 and Q10 in spleen lymphocytes significantly decreased in the late stage of Donryu rats bearing Sato lung carcinoma. Oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity in spleen lymphocytes was also significantly depressed in this stage. The depressed, oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity was significantly recovered by a 3-time intramuscular administration of coenzyme Q10 emulsified with ethanol and saline, and the decreased contents of coenzymes Q9 and Q10 were slightly restored by this treatment. This enzyme activity was also significantly recovered by an intravenous administration of BCG, and was elevated more by the combined treatment with BCG and the emulsified coenzyme Q10. These results suggest that the combined treatment with BCG and emulsified coenzyme Q10 can contribute to the improvement of the depressed bioenergetics in lymphocytes of tumor-bearing animals, and that this combined effect of BCG and emulsified coenzyme Q10 might be based on the combination of their individual activating effect on lymphocytes.