Myocardial ischemia (MI) remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
Angiogenic therapy with the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a promising
strategy to overcome hypoxia and its consequences. However, from the clinical data it is
clear that fulfillment of the potential of VEGF warrants a better delivery strategy. On
the other hand, the compelling evidences of the role of oxidative stress in diseases like
MI encourage the use of antioxidant agents. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) due to its role in the
electron transport chain in the mitochondria seems to be a good candidate to manage MI
but is associated with poor biopharmaceutical properties seeking better delivery
approaches.
The female Sprague Dawley rats were induced MI and were followed up with VEGF
microparticles intramyocardially and CoQ10 nanoparticles orally or their combination
with appropriate controls. Cardiac function was assessed by measuring ejection fraction
before and after three months of therapy.
Results demonstrate significant improvement in the ejection fraction after three months
with both treatment forms individually; however the combination therapy failed to offer
any synergism. In conclusion, VEGF microparticles and CoQ10 nanoparticles can be
considered as promising strategies for managing MI
