Carnitine supplementation ameliorates the steatosis and ketosis induced by pivalate in rats.
These studies examined the effect in rats of carnitine supplementation on variables of fat metabolism altered by administration of sodium pivalate, a compound which induces a carnitine deficiency. Weanling male rats received 20 mmol/L sodium pivalate or 20 mmol/L sodium bicarbonate in their drinking water for 2 wk. They were food-deprived for 24 h, and to maximize fatty acid oxidation, were cold-stressed for 4 h. In Experiment 1, group 1 received the bicarbonate, group 2 received the pivalate, group 3 received the pivalate and 0.46 mmol L-carnitine in the diet/d, while group 4 received the pivalate and 0.95 mmol L-carnitine in the diet/d. In Experiment 2, group 1 received unsupplemented drinking water, group 2 received the bicarbonate, group 3 received the pivalate, and group 4 received the pivalate and 0.95 mmol L-carnitine in the diet/d. Pivalate-treated rats given the low carnitine diet had plasma and liver triglyceride levels (Experiment 1), plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations (Experiments 1 and 2) and urinary dicarboxylic acid excretion (Experiment 2) significantly greater than those of controls (P < 0.05). The reduced tissue carnitine concentrations, starvation ketosis and lipid accumulation in the liver are findings also reported for human secondary carnitine deficiency due to organic acidurias. Supplementing the diet with L-carnitine at the level of 0.95 mmol/d significantly raised plasma and tissue carnitine concentrations and reduced the plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate and liver triglyceride concentrations to levels not significantly different than control values. Carnitine supplementation ameliorates the degree of liver lipid accumulation and exaggerated starvation ketosis induced by pivalate.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48224, USA.
P B
PB
Bianchi
D C
DC
Lehotay
A T
AT
Davis
D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; D000818:Animals; D002254:Carbonates / Q000494:pharmacology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids / Q000652:urine; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000097:blood; D007659:Ketones / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010421:Pentanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology
D002254:Carbonates; D003998:Dicarboxylic Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D007659:Ketones; D010421:Pentanoic Acids; D014280:Triglycerides; C005686:sodium carbonate; C005566:pivalic acid; D002331:Carnitine; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid