The protecting effect of L-carnitine on Ca(2+)-loaded rat liver mitochondria.
It is shown that L-carnitine strongly increases the ability of rat liver mitochondria to respond to the train of Ca2+ additions by a transient stimulation of the State-4 respiration rate. Such an effect requires ATP and the L-carnitine efficiency strongly decreases when ATP is omitted. Oleate influences the mitochondria in a fashion opposite to that of L-carnitine. The oleate effect is strongly diminished by L-carnitine. Again, the L-carnitine effect requires ATP, and D-carnitine fails to substitute for L-carnitine. It is suggested that L-carnitine removes, in an ATP-dependent manner, endogenous or added fatty acids, which are involved in oxidative damage of Ca(2+)-loaded mitochondria.
Mokhova
E
E
Institute of General Pathology, Modena, Italy.
Arrigoni-Martelli
E
E
Bellei
M
M
Dedukhova
V
V
Muscatello
U
U
Starkov
A
A
Bobyleva
V
V
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D002122:Calcium Chloride; D002331:Carnitine