Mitochondria and coenzyme Q10 in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia

Enrique Teran, Isabel Hernández, Leandro Tana, Santiago Teran, Carlos Galaviz-Hernandez, Martha Sosa-Macías, Gustavo Molina, Andrés Calle

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy constitute one of the main causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality across the world and particularly in developing countries such as Ecuador. However, despite its impact on public health, the primary pathophysiological processes involved are yet to be elucidated. It has been proposed, among other theories, that an abnormal placentation may induce an endothelial dysfunction, which is ultimately responsible for the final clinical manifestations. Mitochondria, particularly from trophoblastic cells, are responsible for the production of energy, which is extremely important for normal placentation. The malfunction in this supply of energy may produce higher levels of free radicals. In both production of energy and free radicals, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays a crucial role in electron transport. As such, the role of CoQ10 in the genesis and prevention of preeclampsia has become the focus of a number of research groups, including that of the authors. Developing an in-depth understanding of these mechanisms might allow us to design new and feasible strategies with which we can reduce preeclampsia, particularly in the Latin-American countries.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1561
JournalFrontiers in Physiology
Volume9
Issue numberNOV
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Nov 2018

Keywords

  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Mitochondria
  • Placenta
  • Preeclampsia
  • Pregnancy

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