Protection against anthramycin-induced toxicity in mice by coenzyme Q₁₀

Pretreatment of Swiss Webster mice with coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ) markedly reduced the lethality of the antitumor antibiotic anthramycin as well as its ability to decrease ventricular weights. In tumor-bearing mice CoQ pretreatment did not produce any consistent alteration of radioactivity levels in blood, heart, tumor, lungs, kidneys, liver, muscles, brain, or spleen after [15-³H]anthramycin administration. Gross alterations in anthramycin distribution is probably not the mechanism by which CoQ alters the cardiotoxicity and lethality of anthramycin.