title: The effects of L-carnitine treatment on left ventricular function and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: We studied the effects of L-carnitine on left ventricular systolic function and the erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in 51 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. They all previously were under the treatment of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, digitalis and diuretics. Patients were randomized into two groups. In group I (n=31), 2 g/day L-carnitine was added to therapy. L-Carnitine was not given to the other 20 patients (Group II). In group I (mean age 64.3+/-7.8 years), 27 of the patients were men, and four were women. In group II (mean age 66.2+/-8.7 years), 17 of the patients were men, and three were women. Twenty age-matched healthy subjects (mean age: 60.1+/-5.3 years) constituted the control group. In each group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by echocardiography and red cell superoxide dismutase activity by spectrophotometric method were measured initially and after 1 month of randomisation. Compared with normal healthy subjects (n=20), patients (n=51) had significantly higher red cell SOD activity (5633+/-1225 vs. 3202+/-373 U/g Hb, P<0.001). At the end of 1 month of L-carnitine therapy, red cell SOD activity showed an increase in group I (5918+/-1448 to 7218+/-1917 U/g Hb, P<0.05). In group II, red cell SOD activity showed no significant change after 1 month of randomisation (5190+/-545 to 5234+/-487 U/g Hb, P=0. 256). One month after randomisation there was a significant increase in LVEF in both groups I and II (37.8-42.3%, P<0.001 in group I; 41. 5-43.8%, P<0.001 in group II). The improvement in LVEF was more significant in the L-carnitine group (4.5% vs. 2.3%, P<0.01). We conclude that, as a sign of increased free radical production, superoxide dismutase activity was further increased in patients with L-carnitine treatment. L-Carnitine treatment in combination with other traditional pharmacological therapy might have an additive effect for the improvement of left ventricular function in ischemic cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gürlek
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tutar
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akçil
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dinçer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kocatürk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oral
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D002331:Carnitine