Abstrait

Effects of Ubiquinol in Reducing the Development of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Mitochondrial Injury

Qiuhua Shen, John B. Hiebert, Amanda R. Thimmesch, Richard L. Clancy, Janet D. Pierce

There is currently no effective clinical treatment for diastolic heart failure also termed heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) which is associated with reduced myocardial adenosine triphosphate. Ubiquinol in the electron chain is required for adenosine triphosphate synthesis. Thus, the purpose of this pilot study was to examine in a rat model the effects of ubiquinol (reduced form of Coenzyme Q10) in the development of HFpEF. Six Dahl salt-sensitive rats were randomly assigned to either control or experimental groups. Starting at the age of 7 weeks, all rats were fed 8% NaCl diet and water for 12 weeks. The rats in the experimental group were fed ubiquinol (2 mg/100 g) in the water. Blood pressures, heart rate, and echocardiographic data were obtained at baseline and at the end of experiment. Rats in the ubiquinol group had lower increases in blood pressures and left ventricular wall thickness. Heart rate variability was not significantly different although there was a decrease in heart rate and an increase in parasympathetic nervous system output in the ubiquinol group. There was also less cardiac mitochondrial damage in the ubiquinol group compared to the control rats. Though the sample size is small, the supplementation of ubiquinol appears to reduce blood pressure and myocardial mitochondrial injury.