Open AccessEvidence on neuroprotective properties of coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of glaucoma
Author(s) -
Alessio Martucci,
Carlo Alberto Nucci
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
neural regeneration research/neural regeneration research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.93
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1876-7958
pISSN - 1673-5374
DOI - 10.4103/1673-5374.244781
Subject(s) - neuroprotection , medicine , glaucoma , coenzyme q10 , intraocular pressure , optic nerve , optic neuropathy , retinal ganglion cell , neuroscience , ophthalmology , disease , pharmacology , biology
Glaucoma, the leading cause of visual impairment and irreversible blindness worldwide, is a multifactorial, progressive optic neuropathy characterized by loss of retinal ganglion cells, alterations of the optic nerve head, and specific visual field defects. Clinical evidence shows that intraocular pressure is the major risk factor of the treatable disease. However, in some patients, glaucoma develops and continues to progress despite normal intraocular pressure values, suggesting that other risk factors are involved in the disease. Consequently, neuroprotective treatments, focused on preventing retinal ganglion cells death by acting on different therapeutic strategies but not focused on intraocular pressure reduction, has therefore become of great interest. In this contest, coenzyme Q10, showing evidence in slowing or reversing pathological changes typical of the disease, has been proposed as a potential neuroprotective agent in glaucoma. In this review, we describe the possible mechanisms of action of coenzyme Q10 and the recent evidence in literature regarding the neuroprotective activity of the molecule.