title: Effects of in vivo and in vitro treatment with L-carnitine on isolated hearts from chronically diabetic rats.
abstract: The effects of in vivo and in vitro L-carnitine administration on cardiac function were studied in isolated perfused working hearts from control and diabetic rats. Injection of L-carnitine (3 g.kg-1.day-1, i.p.) for 2 weeks into rats previously diabetic for 6 weeks partially reversed the adverse effects of chronic diabetes on heart function. In a second experiment, a lower dose of L-carnitine (0.5 g.kg-1.day-1, i.p.) injected for 6 weeks prevented the onset of heart dysfunction in chronically diabetic rats. The protective action of L-carnitine in the myocardium appeared to be independent of any direct pharmacological effects. In both studies, L-carnitine was a potent lipid-lowering agent. The data suggests that L-carnitine administration at either dose had a protective effect against myocardial damage seen during diabetes. The mechanism(s) underlying these effects remains to be elucidated but are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farahbakshian
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: McNeill
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008066:Lipolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D010477:Perfusion; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine