title: Altered carnitine metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: Carnitine metabolism was examined in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Carnitine levels were elevated by 25% in hypertrophied hearts of 10- and 15-wk-old SHR when compared with Wistar-Kyoto (WKy) controls. This elevation was associated with a greater than 25% increase in total serum carnitine. The elevated serum carnitine does not appear to be due to increased mobilization from skeletal muscle because carnitine levels were elevated by 25% in gastrocnemius and diaphragm of SHR. Elevated serum carnitine is also not a result of reduced urinary excretion because daily urinary carnitine output was increased by 150% in SHR. These findings suggest that the most likely mechanism for increased serum carnitine is increased carnitine synthesis by the liver. The changes in carnitine metabolism in SHR appear to occur between 5 and 10 wk of age, because the carnitine levels in serum and organs were comparable in 5-wk-old WKy and SHR. The observed alterations in tissue and serum carnitine levels may result in altered fatty acid utilization in SHR.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Reibel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000378:metabolism; D002331:Carnitine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D006973:Hypertension / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR / Q000378:metabolism*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000378:metabolism*; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine