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Cobalt is an essential microelement which is an indispensable part of several enzymes and co-enzymes. Cobalt ions may occur in the environment from both natural sources and due to human activities. This metal is very widespread in the natural environment and can be formed due to anthropogenic activity. Toxic effects produced by cobalt and its compounds depend on the physical and chemical properties of these complexes, including their electronic structure, ion parameters (charge-size relations) and kinetics. Cobalt has both beneficial and harmful effects on human health. Cobalt is beneficial for humans because it is a part of vitamin B12, which is essential to maintain human health. If humans and animals are exposed to levels of cobalt normally found in the environment, it is not harmful. When excessive cobalt amounts enter a human body, multiple and chronic harmful health effects can occur and the longer the cobalt ions are stored in the body, the more changes they cause in cells. Cobalt gets into a body via several ways: mainly with food, via the respiratory system, through the skin or as a component of various biomaterials. Despite this metal being abundant, much of our knowledge on cobalt toxicity is based mainly on studies performed on animals. Undoubtedly, inorganic forms of cobalt are toxic as they accumulate in various tissues and can evoke a chain of pathological cascade changes in cells. Although some cobalt effects might be beneficial for medicine. Therefore, the purpose of our review is to provide the current analysis about the most significant regulatory, pathophysiological and epigenetic effects of Co2+ in a human body

Cobalt administration in the human body is a risk factor for developing pulmonary and cardiovascular health problems. In this paper we report the results of functional studies and biochemical mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction and pathology of internal organs in cobalt intoxication in experiment. System-organ nature of the activation of oxidative processes is identified according to the increase of MDA secondary product in erythrocytes and homogenates of internal organs as well as the participation of AOC imbalance in the development of lipid peroxidation, the peculiarities of the violations of NO release endothelial function and participation in this process of L-arginine and an analogue of endogenous inhibitor of expression eNOS -L–NC - arginine methyl ester (L-NAME or L-nitro-arginine-methilester) with cobalt intoxication in conditions of activation of oxidative processes. Chronic cobalt intoxication in rats leads to the activation of oxidative processes, thus there is inhibition of superoxide dismutase activity and the concentration of catalase and ceruloplasmin increased. Cholesterol metabolism is disturbed, as well as impaired nitric oxide production and its bioavailability, which is accompanied by the change of the microcirculatory hemodynamics of the visceral organs. The evaluation of the internal organs’ functional state according to the activity of the Na+,K+-ATPase in homogenates is performed, as well as due to the activity of organ-specific and excretory enzymes in blood serum on the background of cobalt toxicity. The role of changes of cholesterol metabolism is established – as a risk factor of atherogenesis in violation of the bioavailability of nitric oxide. For the pathogenetic correction of violations we applied the method using the endogenous antioxidant coenzyme Q10 and regulators of the expression eNOS L-arginine, L-NAME and their combination with coenzyme Q10.