Effects of Coenzyme Q 10 on Ischemic Myocardium during Coronary Artery Occlusion: ―Evaluation of the Time Needed to Change Irreversible Myocardium―

We studied the irreversible change of myocardium on coronary artery occlusion using mongrel dogs. These dogs were divided into 2 groups. One group was administered CoQ10 before and after coronary artery occlusion and the other received placebo. Results are summarized as follows. 1) In both groups the hemodynamic change showed no significant change. 2) In the biochemical studies there was no significant difference between both groups, but in the infarction group, serum GPT and pyruvic acid in a sampling of blood taken from the coronary sinus were significantly higher than in the non-infarction group (P less than 0.05, 0.025). 3) By the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) technique for the myocardial infarction, infarction did not appear in the CoQ10 group until 90 minutes after coronary occlusion but in the placebo group infarction appeared as early as 60 minutes. 4) In the ultrastructural studies of myocardium the electron microscopy detected irreversible change of mitochondrias when the TTC technique identified infarction. In conclusion, the administration of CoQ10 has a protective effect for the irreversible change of ischemic myocardium.