title: Structural, metabolic and ionic requirements for the uptake of L-carnitine by primary rat cortical cells.
abstract: L-Carnitine (L-C) is involved in the transport of acyl groups into mitochondria for beta-oxidation, although its role in the adult brain is still uncertain. We have shown before that the uptake of L-carnitine into cultured rat cortical neurones was dependent on temperature as well as the Na gradient and is inhibited by compounds resembling its structure, like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), but most potently by specific GABA uptake blockers. In this study we have characterised this uptake process further. We have shown that the uptake of L-carnitine may be dependent on Cl ions, in addition to Na ions, but non on Ca ions. The L-C uptake was inhibited by substituent anions in the order gluconate (83%) > isethionate (32%), with propionate being ineffective, whereas GABA uptake was inhibited most potently by propionate substitution (79%) and equally by isethionate and gluconate (67%). This L-C uptake process was not affected by the amino acids, glutamine or lysine, up to 1 mM concentration, although beta-alanine at 500 microM caused a 38% inhibition. The uptake of L-C was also significantly inhibited by structurally-related compounds, with a carbon chain length of three to six atoms, possessing an amine group and/or a carboxyl group. At a concentration of 500 microM, 3-aminopropane sulphonic acid (53%), gamma-butyrobetaine (31%), gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (34%) and 4 methylaminobutyric acid (33%). Other compounds were effective only at the lower concentration of 10 microM, such as butyric acid (25%), nicotinic acid (26%), isonicotinic acid (26%), hexanoic acid (23%) and at 100 microM, like 6-aminocapric acid (22%). Drugs suggested to affect membrane properties, such as chlorpromazine, was without effect at 1 or 10 microM, whereas flunarizine (FLU) at 1 microM inhibited both L-C (24%) and GABA uptake (17%). Other drugs like the cholinesterase inhibitors, tacrine and eserine, also had a small inhibitory effect on L-C uptake, reducing it at 1 microM by 22 and 21% respectively, although higher concentrations were toxic (> 100 microM). Pretreatment of the cells with neuraminidase (50 U ml-1, 10 min) reduced the subsequent uptake of both L-C (18%) and GABA (42%). Hypoxia (3 h) also significantly attenuated L-C uptake (42%), however part of these effects were related to the loss of cell viability. In summary, L-C uptake occurs by a complex mechanism which at least in part may occur by a Na/Cl cotransport mechanism, which could be similar, to that of GABA or may even in part occur via the GABA transporter.
authors.affiliation: Cell Pathology Department, Sigma-Tau, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Virmani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spadoni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arrigoni-Martelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvani
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007477:Ions; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D002712:Chlorides; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D007477:Ions; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D012964:Sodium; D009439:Neuraminidase; D005444:Flunarizine; D011188:Potassium; D002331:Carnitine; D002118:Calcium; D002746:Chlorpromazine