title: L-carnitine and carnitine ester transport in the rat small intestine.
abstract: L-carnitine and its esters (acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine) at pharmacological doses (1, 5 and 10 mM) are absorbed by the rat jejunum by simple diffusion. Partition coefficients of carnitine esters determined in lipophilic media (diethyl ether/water and olive oil/water) are greater than that of L-carnitine. It would therefore seem that esters diffuse more easily through the lipid component of the intestinal barrier. The transport of acetyl- and propionyl-L-carnitine at pharmacological doses seems to be linearly and positively correlated with K+ transport but not with Na+ transport.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisiologia Generale e Chimica Biologica, Facoltà di Farmacia, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marciani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lindi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arrigoni Martelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardace
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000818:Animals; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004986:Ether; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D004986:Ether; C003223:propionylcarnitine; D000108:Acetylcarnitine; D011188:Potassium; D002331:Carnitine