Author(s)

Alexander Ivanov, Evgenia Gorodetskaya, Elena Kalenikova, Oleg Medvedev

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia Russian Cardiology Research and Production Complex, Moscow, Russia.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medicine, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia Russian Cardiology Research and Production Complex, Moscow, Russia.

Maintenance of mitochondrial activity and antioxidant features of coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) could be an effective background for treatment of acute myocardial ischemia. Dietary uptake of CoQ₁₀ is limited to only a few percent. In urgent cases, parenteral administration of CoQ₁₀ could provide fast increase of its plasma and myocardial levels. The aim was to evaluate whether a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of solubilized CoQ₁₀ before ischemia/reperfusion (IR) could lead to replenishment of its myocardial levels and limits subsequent myocardial IR injury. Methods: 30 min prior to coronary artery occlusion rats received i.v. solubilized CoQ₁₀ (30 mg/kg) or saline (1 ml/kg). After 30 min of ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion, infarct zone of left ventricle (LV) and quantity of CoQ₁₀ in LV were determined. Cardiac rhythm was monitored through the whole experiment. Results: At the beginning of reperfusion, arrhythmias were recorded in 8 (from 9) in saline and 2 (from 9) in CoQ_10-treated rats. Arrhythmias in CoQ₁₀-treated rats arose later (40 ± 8 sec) and had less duration (26 ± 14 sec); 14 ± 13 sec and 52 ± 17 sec in saline treated rats respectively. At the end of reperfusion CoQ₁₀ treated rats revealed: 2 fold higher CoQ₁₀ content in LV (p < 0.01), limitation of infarct zone by 35% (p < 0.01). Higher levels of CoQ₁₀ were accompanied by less infarct size (r = ﹣0.77, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Single i.v. injection of CoQ₁₀ effectively increased its myocardial levels and protected heart against IR injury by diminishing the size of the irreversibly damaged myocardium, decreasing frequency and duration of arrhythmias. The infarct zone inversely correlated with the quantity of CoQ₁₀ in LV.

Coenzyme Q₁₀; Intravenous Injection; Myocardial Ischemia; Reperfusion Injury

Ivanov, A. , Gorodetskaya, E. , Kalenikova, E. and Medvedev, O. (2013) Single intravenous injection of CoQ₁₀ reduces infarct size in a rat model of ischemia and reperfusion injury. World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases, 3, 1-7. doi: 10.4236/wjcd.2013.35A001.