Cardiolipin (CL), a unique mitochondrial phospholipid, plays a key role in 
several processes of mitochondrial bioenergetics as well as in mitochondrial 
membrane stability and dynamics. The present study was designed to determine the 
effect of MitoQ, a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, on the content of liver 
mitochondrial membrane phospholipids, in particular CL, and its fatty acid 
composition in obesogenic diet-fed rats. To do this, twenty-four 6week old male 
Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into three groups of 8 animals and fed for 
8weeks with either a control diet, a high fat diet (HF), or a HF diet with MitoQ 
(HF+MitoQ). Phospholipid classes and fatty acid composition were assayed by 
chromatographic methods in liver and liver mitochondria. Mitochondrial 
bioenergetic function was also evaluated. While MitoQ had no or slight effects 
on total liver fatty acid composition and phospholipid classes and their fatty 
acid composition, it had major effects on liver mitochondrial phospholipids and 
mitochondrial function. Indeed, MitoQ both increased CL synthase gene expression 
and CL content of liver mitochondria and increased 18:2n-6 (linoleic acid) 
content of mitochondrial phospholipids by comparison to the HF diet. Moreover, 
mitochondrial CL content was positively correlated to mitochondrial membrane 
fluidity, membrane potential and respiration, as well as to ATP synthase 
activity, while it was negatively correlated to mitochondrial ROS production. 
These findings suggest that MitoQ may decrease pathogenic alterations to CL 
content and profiles, thereby preserving mitochondrial function and attenuating 
the development of some of the features of metabolic syndrome in obesogenic 
diet-fed rats.