title: Coenzyme Q(10) , endothelial function, and cardiovascular disease.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Biology & Genetics, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy. g.littarru@univpm.it
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Littarru
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tiano
authors.forename: Romualdo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Belardinelli
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Watts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000473:pathology; D004727:Endothelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014815:Vitamins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014815:Vitamins; D014451:Ubiquinone; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C024989:coenzyme Q10