title: Spatial-frequency-dependent changes in the human pattern electroretinogram after acute acetyl-L-carnitine administration.
abstract: Acetyl-L-carnitine (LAC) is a neuroactive compound that is thought to be involved in cholinergic transmission. The effects of acute intravenous LAC administration (30 mg/kg) on pattern-evoked electroretinograms (P-ERGs) were evaluated in nine healthy volunteers ranging in age between 21 and 27 years. Nine age-matched, normal subjects treated with a placebo served as controls. Steady-state (8 Hz) P-ERGs recorded in response to counterphased sinusoidal gratings of variable spatial frequency (0.6-4.8 cycles/degree) were obtained before and at 20, 50 and 80 min after LAC or placebo administration. The amplitude and phase of the Fourier-analysed P-ERG second harmonic were measured. As compared with placebo-treated controls, LAC-treated subjects showed a selective P-ERG amplitude increase (Mann-Whitney rank test: P less than 0.05), which was found 80 min posttreatment at a spatial frequency of 4.8 cycles/degree. For the same stimulus a significant (P less than 0.05) P-ERG phase shortening (at 50 min after drug administration) was also found. The spatial frequencies of other stimuli did not show a significant difference between the LAC- and placebo-treated groups. These results indicate that acute LAC administration induces a spatial-frequency-dependent enhancement of the human P-ERG. This is compatible with a cholinergic excitatory effect and suggests a therapeutic role for this compound in retinal dysfunctions with selective vulnerability to medium-high spatial frequencies.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falsini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Porciatti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bolzani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchionni
mesh_terms: D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects; D013028:Space Perception
chemical_list: D000108:Acetylcarnitine