Effects of the Dihydroquercetin on Respiratory Parameters of Liver Mitochondria in Rats under Conditions of Hypothermia.

Hypothermia is accompanied by the development of a number of pathological processes, many of these are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Plant polyphenols, in particular, dihydroquercetin, can act as therapeutic agents with a mitoprotective effect. We studied the effects of dihydroquercetin on the respiratory parameters of rat liver mitochondria under conditions of moderate hypothermia. A 5-day course of dihydroquercetin (100 mg/kg) had a significant protective effect on the bioenergetics of the liver mitochondria in hypothermic rats, which was seen from a decrease in mitochondrial proton leakage and increased affinity of the respiratory chain to ADP and oxidation-phosphorylation coupling.