title: Effects of L-carnitine and verapamil on myocardial carnitine concentration and histopathology of Syrian hamster BIO 14.6.
abstract: In order to investigate the effects of L-carnitine and verapamil on myocardial carnitine metabolism carnitine derivatives were measured and histopathology studied in the BIO 14.6 Syrian hamster. Cardiomyopathic hamsters at 20 days of life were divided into three groups, each given saline solution, L-carnitine, or verapamil. At 90 days of life the myocardial tissue concentrations of free carnitine, short chain acylcarnitine, and total carnitine in Syrian hamsters were significantly lower than those in normal hamsters of the same age. The myocardial tissue concentrations of free carnitine, short chain acylcarnitine, and total carnitine were significantly higher in the L-carnitine group than in the saline group, and the concentrations of free carnitine and total carnitine were significantly higher in the verapamil group than in the saline group. The percentage area of necrosis, fibrosis, and calcification in the L-carnitine and verapamil groups was significantly smaller than that in the saline group. These results suggest that lowered carnitine concentrations in the myocardium might play an important pathophysiological role in the genesis of the BIO 14.6 cardiomyopathic Syrian hamster and that L-carnitine and verapamil might be beneficial in the treatment of cardiomyopathic hamsters.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002114:Calcinosis; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005355:Fibrosis; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014700:Verapamil; D002331:Carnitine