Mitochondria produce reactive oxygen species that may contribute to vascular dysfunction. α-Lipoic acid and acetyl-L-carnitine reduce oxidative stress and improve mitochondrial function. In a double?blind crossover study, the authors examined the effects of combined α-lipoic acid/acetyl?L?carnitine treatment and placebo (8 weeks per treatment) on vasodilator function and blood pressure in 36 subjects with coronary artery disease. Active treatment increased brachial artery diameter by 2.3% (P=.008), consistent with reduced arterial tone. Active treatment tended to decrease systolic blood pressure for the whole group (P=.07) and had a significant effect in the subgroup with blood pressure above the median (151±20 to 142±18 mm Hg; P=.03) and in the subgroup with the metabolic syndrome (139±21 to 130±18 mm Hg; P=.03). Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the regulation of blood pressure and vascular tone. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine the clinical utility of α-lipoic acid/acetyl-L-carnitine as antihypertensive therapy.

In addition to serving as the site of oxidative phosphorylation, it is now clear that mitochondria regulate many cellular functions, in part by producing reactive oxygen species that signal the adaptive response to environmental stress and injury. Excess production of mitochondria-derived oxidants, however, may have maladaptive effects. There is growing evidence that disturbances of mitochondrial function, including increased oxidant production and altered mitochondria dependent signaling, contribute to the pathogenesis of vascular disease in atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular risk factors.

On the basis of these observations, we hypothesized that an intervention designed to improve mitochondrial function would have beneficial vascular effects in patients with cardiovascular disease. Recent experimental studies have shown that administration of α-lipoic acid and/or acetyl-L-carnitine can reduce oxidant production and improve mitochondrial function in models of aging. Furthermore, these compounds reduce blood pressure (BP) and improve endothelial function in animal models of hypertension and diabetes. The present study was designed to examine the effects of combined α?lipoic acid/acetyl?L?carnitine treatment on vascular function and BP in patients with coronary artery disease.

Πηγή: National Library of Medicine | National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) | USA (2007 May 9 | Craig J. McMackin, Michael E. Widlansky, Naomi M. Hamburg, Alex L. Huang, Susan Weller, Monika Holbrook, Noyan Gokce, Tory M. Hagen, John F. Keaney, Jr and Joseph A. Vita | PMCID: PMC2734271 | PMID: 17396066 | NIHMSID: NIHMS125303)