title: Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine on the formation of fatty acid ethyl esters in brain and peripheral organs after short-term ethanol administration in rat.
abstract: Increasing evidence suggests that Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) play a central role in ethanol induced organ damage. In the current study we measured FAEE formation in rats after short-term oral administration of ethanol, in the presence and absence of pre-treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine. Ethanol treatment caused a significant increase in the levels of FAEE, particularly in the brain and heart, but also in the kidney and liver. Increases in FAEE were associated with a significant increase in FAEE synthase activity, GSH transferase activity, and lipid hydroperoxide levels. Pretreatment with acetyl-L-carnitine resulted in a significant reduction of FAEE accumulation, decrease in FAEE synthase and GSH transferase activities, and lipid hydroperoxide levels. Administration of acetyl-L-carnitine greatly reduced the metabolic abnormalities due to non-oxidative ethanol metabolism, through an increment in lipid metabolism/turnover and by the modulation of the activities of enzymes associated with FAEE synthesis. These results suggest a potentially important pharmacological role for acetyl-L-carnitine in the prevention of alcohol-induced cellular damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania, Italy. calabres@mbox.unict.it
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scapagnini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dinotta
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvani
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stella
mesh_terms: D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D000431:Ethanol; D000108:Acetylcarnitine; D000217:Acyltransferases; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; C043403:fatty acyl ethyl ester synthase