title: L-propionyl carnitine protects erythrocytes and low density lipoproteins against peroxidation.
abstract: The effects of peroxidation on the erythrocytes of rats orally treated with L-propionyl carnitine for 15 days (50 mg/kg/day) were investigated. Peroxidation was produced by incubating the cells in the presence of the cytotoxic system: lactoperoxidase-hydrogen peroxide and iodide ions. Lysis of erythrocytes was evaluated by measuring the turbidity following the decrease in absorbance at 600 nm. The 50% of erythrocyte lysis of untreated animals was observed after 16 min and in about 30 min all the cells were lysed. With L-propionyl carnitine-treated rat erythrocytes the time at which 50% of lysis was observed increased to 23 min. L-propionyl carnitine also exerted its protective effect in vitro when incubated with untreated rat erythrocytes or human erythrocytes in the presence of the cytolytic system. The presence of L-propionyl carnitine in the incubation mixture markedly decreased the malonaldehyde formation. The protection was concentration-dependent. To establish if L-propionyl carnitine protects from oxygen reactive species or is able to stabilize the damaged membranes, a latent damage was produced by incubating the erythrocytes with the cytolytic system for a few minutes. The cells were then removed and suspended in buffered saline in the absence or in the presence of different L-propionyl carnitine concentrations. L-propionyl carnitine decreased the velocity of lysis of damaged erythrocytes. These data suggest that L-propionyl carnitine protects erythrocytes from oxygen reactive species and also stabilizes the damaged membrane probably by specific binding with protein and/or phospholipid domains. Low density lipoproteins (LDLs) from human blood were peroxidized by exposure to Cu2+ ions in the presence of various L-propionyl carnitine concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Pharmacology, Chemotherapy and Toxicology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ronca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003300:Copper / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C003223:propionylcarnitine; D003300:Copper; D008715:Methionine; D002331:Carnitine