title: Neurovascular effects of L-carnitine treatment in diabetic rats.
abstract: The aims were to ascertain whether L-carnitine could prevent nerve blood flow and conduction deficits in 1-month diabetic rats and to examine potential neurovascular mechanisms using co-treatment with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine. A 19.8% diabetic deficit in sciatic motor conduction velocity was 57.4% attenuated by L-carnitine treatment. Similarly, a 47.7% reduction in sciatic nutritive (capillary) endoneurial blood flow was 48.6% blocked by L-carnitine. Joint treatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine completely abolished the effects on nerve conduction and nutritive flow. However, L-carnitine treatment did not alter a 50.8% diabetic deficit in total sciatic endoneurial flow, which was further depressed (61%) by NG-nitro-L-arginine co-treatment. Thus, the effect of L-carnitine on nerve conduction in diabetic rats depends on changes in the endoneurial perfusion pattern by an action that may involve the nitric oxide system of vasa nervorum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Marischal College, UK.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D002331:Carnitine; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester