• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.149-162
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• 2000

Coenzyme Q10 is found in all tissues including skin and it is the well-known coenzyme for mitochondrial enzymes. The electron and proton transfer functions of the quinone ring are of fundamental importance for the oxidative phosphorylation pathway to generate energy in the cells. Coenzyme Q10 has been studied as a potent antioxidant molecule in the skin. It is involved in the skin's response to UVR irradiation. The concentration of this antioxidant in UVR exposed skin is higher than in non-exposed skin. However, recent studies have also shown that coenzyme Q10 is one of the first antioxidants to be depleted when skin is UVR-irradiated. This indicates that coenzyme Q10 is primarily involved in defense mechanisms of the skin. Therefore, we questioned whether coenzyme Q10 shows reulatory effect of melanogenesis. Here we report that coenzyme Q10 inhibits melanin neosynthesis of normal human melanocytes grown in culture, and lightens UVB-induced hyperpigmentation of the guinea pig skin in vivo. We treated human melanocytes with 0.05mM to 0.5mM of coenzyme Q10 for a total of two days. This inhibited melanin neosynthesis of cultured human melanocytes dose-dependently. The inhibitory effect of coenzyme Q10 was as effective as kojic acid or vitamin C on cultured human melanocytes. CoQ10 didn't have direct inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity in in vitro tyrosine hydroxylase activity To further clarify the effect of coenzyme Q10 on the melanogenesis, we established UVB-induced hyperpigmentation on the shaved backs of brownish guinea pigs. The UVB intensity was 500mJ/$\textrm{cm}^2$ and the total energy dose was 1,500 mJ/$\textrm{cm}^2$. The animals were exposed to UVB radiation one times a week for three consecutive weeks. Coenzyme Q10, kojic acid, Arbutin, vitamin C(1% in vehicle) or vehicle alone as a control were then topically applied daily to the hyperpigmented areas twelve times per week far four successive weeks. The lightening effect was evaluated by visual scoring, chromameter and immunohistochemistry. Coenzyme Q10 had lightening effect on the UVB-induced hyperpigmentation without any other side effects, whereas another compounds showed weak lightening efficacies. Therefore, these results suggest that coenzyme Q10 may be useful for solving physiological hyperpigmenting problems for cosmetic purposes.