COENZYME Q10 CONFERS CARDIOVASCULAR PREVENTION
摘要
The authors' aim of the study reported in the accompany article in Shock (1) was to evaluate the cardiovascular protective efficacy of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) at the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), a medullary site where sympathetic vasomotor tune originates and where the organophosphate poison, mevinphos (MEV), results in cardiovascular intoxication. The authors specifically highlighted that, “ameliorating the depressed mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activities, the reduced ATP level, and the induced tissue hypoxia at the RVLM are among some of the underlying mechanisms for the elicited protection.” However, are these truly the underlying mechanisms or the sequela of a yet to be defined more pivotal mechanism(s)? The cellular mechanisms in bioenergetic failure and hypoxia in the RVLM are similar to what the authors reported when they highlighted the neuroprotective effects of CoQ10 at the rostral ventrolateral medulla against fatality during experimental endotoxemia in the rat (2). What is specifically different at the cellular level between the neuroprotective and cardioprotective effects? Also, the authors need to specifically note how the rats were assigned to the various treatment groups. Some results may be biased if the assignments were not random. In addition, there is no reference to a pre-experiment power study. The authors offer no rationale for determining the number of rats in each experimental group. Important differences may not have been detected because of a small sample size with an associated low statistical power. Figure 4 (representative continuous tracings showing temporal changes in tissue oxygen concentration or microvascular perfusion in the RVLM of rats that received microinjections bilaterally into the RVLM…) is void of any statistical analysis. Some statistical inferential technique should have been performed by the authors. In addition, an analysis of variance table would have enhanced this article, for it would indicate which of th