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Coenzyme Q 10 , endothelial function, and cardiovascular disease
Author(s) -
Littarru Gian Paolo,
Tiano Luca,
Belardinelli Romualdo,
Watts Gerald F.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
biofactors
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1872-8081
pISSN - 0951-6433
DOI - 10.1002/biof.154
Subject(s) - function (biology) , disease , cardiology , chemistry , medicine , pharmacology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Abstract Since the time a precise role of coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) in myocardial bioenergetics was established, the involvement of CoQ in the pathophysiology of heart failure was hypothesized. This provided the rationale for numerous clinical trials of CoQ 10 as adjunctive treatment for heart failure. A mild hypotensive effect of CoQ was reported in the early years of clinical use of this compound. We review early human and animal studies on the vascular effects of CoQ. We then focus on endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes and the possible impact on this condition of antioxidants and nutritional supplements, and in particular the therapeutic effects of CoQ. The effect of CoQ 10 on endothelial dysfunction in ischemic heart disease is also reviewed together with recent data highlighting that treatment with CoQ 10 increases extracellular SOD activity.