title: Serum and tissue carnitine assay based on dialysis.
abstract: Carnitine (L-beta-hydroxy-gamma-trimethylaminobutyric acid) aids mitochondrial energy production by transferring fatty acids across the membranes for beta-oxidation. We describe here a modified enzymatic assay for free serum and tissue carnitine based on dialysis to remove interfering substances in the serum, with subsequent conversion of carnitine to the acyl derivative by carnitine acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.7) in the presence of 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid). The method compared well with a radioenzymatic assay. The reference interval for serum is 28-70 mumol/L. Patients with advanced diabetes and those undergoing valproic acid treatment displayed lower mean values; a statistically significant number of them showed serum carnitine values below the reference interval. The method was also applied to carnitine measurement in cerebrospinal fluid and human tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1072.
authors.forename: Z K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Shihabi
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Oles
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Penry
mesh_terms: D002331:Carnitine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002332:Carnitine O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D003956:Dialysis; D004228:Dithionitrobenzoic Acid; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014635:Valproic Acid; D004228:Dithionitrobenzoic Acid; D002332:Carnitine O-Acetyltransferase; D002331:Carnitine