title: Effects of ischaemic stress on leukocyte activation processes in patients with chronic peripheral occlusive arterial disease: role of L-propionyl carnitine administration.
abstract: An open study was carried out to assess whether, in patients with occlusive peripheral arterial disease (PAD), ischaemic stress induced by maximal physical exercise is associated with leukocyte activation processes, and to evaluate the effects of L-propionyl carnitine (LPC) administration on such processes. Fifteen patients with occlusive PAD (stage II-A), with a mean pain-free walking distance (PWD) of 199 +/- 70.66 m were orally treated with 2000 mg/day LPC for 2 months. Serum levels of E-selectin, P-selectin, L-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-I (VCAM-1) were measured at rest and after the performance of a treadmill walking test (treadmill speed 3.5 km h(-1), inclination 12%) in the untreated condition, and again after treatment with LPC. Significant increases of these factors were observed after maximal exercise compared with resting values. Such increase was significantly reduced after LPC treatment compared with the untreated condition. This study shows that ischaemia induced by maximal stress is associated with leukocyte activation processes, and that LPC is capable of modulating these processes. LPC, therefore, may have a protecting role during ischaemia.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Interna A.Francaviglia, Servizio Autonomo di Angiologia Medica, Catania, Italy. signct@citiesonline.it
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Signorelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malaponte
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Pino
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Digrandi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Mazzarino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D007511:Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019040:E-Selectin; D019007:P-Selectin; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D019041:L-Selectin; C003223:propionylcarnitine; D002331:Carnitine