[The correction of energy metabolism disorders in hypoxia by using vitamin K]

A study was made of the possibility of correcting respiratory chain function disorders in hypoxia by means of the naphthoquinone derivative vitamin K3. The antihypoxic activity of that compound is defined by its donor-acceptor properties and its capability to shunt the electron flow from NADH to CoQ. The effect is more pronounced in the tissues that oxidize mostly the NAD-dependent substrates which is related to rapid inactivation of the given enzymatic complex under hypoxia and correlates with low resistance of the cell using the NADH-oxidase pathway of oxidizing energy substrates to oxygen deficiency.