Coenzyme Q10 attenuates the progression of cardiomyopathy in hamsters

Coenzyme Q10 (10 mg/kg/day) or digoxin (2 micrograms/kg/day) was given orally to cardiomyopathic hamsters (BIO 14.6) for 8 weeks from 12 weeks of age. The left ventricular weight per gram of body weight (mg/g) was lower (p less than 0.01) in the coenzyme Q10 group (3.09 +/- 0.13) than in the digoxin (3.32 +/- 0.20) and control (3.44 +/- 0.14) groups. Left ventricular function was evaluated in isovolumically beating hearts. Left ventricular developed pressure (63 +/- 5 vs. 54 +/- 10 mmHg, p less than 0.05), -dP/dt (1385 +/- 100 vs. 1211 +/- 136 mmHg/sec, p less than 0.05), and -dP/dt (1068 +/- 126 vs. 896 +/- 141 mmHg/sec, p less than 0.05) were greater in the coenzyme Q10 than in the control group. The time constant of left ventricular relaxation was shorter in the coenzyme Q10 group than in the control group (25 +/- 3 vs. 28 +/- 3 msec, p less than 0.05). By contrast, in the digoxin group, the indices of left ventricular function did not differ from the control group. These results suggest that coenzyme Q10, but not digoxin, attenuated disease progression and preserved left ventricular function in cardiomyopathic hamsters.