Effect of long-term acetyl-L-carnitine on stress-induced analgesia in the aging rat.
Cold water swim (CWS) analgesia in the rat is mediated by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. An age-dependent increase of CWS-induced analgesia was observed in male Sprague-Dawley young (4 months), adult (15 months) and old (26 months) rats. Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) chronically administered (75 mg/kg/daily in drinking water for 8 months) to old rats was able to maintain the stress-dependent response at the same levels as in adult rats. This effect may be explained by ALCAR capability of retarding the age-dependent loss of glucocorticoid receptors in the hippocampus, thus maintaining the glucocorticoid competence of this structure which exerts a negative feedback control over the HPA axis activity.
Ghirardi
O
O
Institute for Research on Senescence, Sigma Tau S.p.A., Pomezia, Italy.
Caprioli
A
A
Ramacci
M T
MT
Angelucci
L
L
D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000108:Acetylcarnitine