[The impact of carnitine on serum ammonia concentration and lipid metabolism in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis].
Treatment of patients with liver cirrhosis with the signs of liver insufficiency is complex and seldom satisfactory. Carnitine, taking part in liver lipid metabolism might be a potentially effective drug.


OBJECTIVE
Of the study was to evaluate the influence of L-carnitine on serum ammonia, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.


METHODS
Fifty patients with liver cirrhosis of alcoholic aetiology, 16 females and 34 males, aged 55 +/- 11.3 years (mean +/- SD) were included into the study. Fourteen patients were treated with L-carnitine, 25--with L-ornitine L-aspartate, 11--were not given those medicaments. All patients had proteins reduced down to 0.5 g/kg b.w. per day in their diet. The serum concentrations of ammonia, cholesterol and triglycerides were assessed on inclusion and after 28 days of treatment.


RESULTS
All patients improved clinically. A significant improvement was observed in the group of patients treated with L-ornitine L-aspartate (p < 0.003), and among those treated with L-isocarnitine (p = 0.005), while evaluating the Child-Pugh score before and after treatment. The serum ammonia concentration decreased in all patients. However, among the individuals treated with L-carnitine an increase of serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations was observed as well (p = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
L-carnitine lowers the serum ammonia concentration and improves lipid metabolism.
Łapiński
Tadeusz Wojciech
TW
Klinika Obserwacyjno-Zakazna Akademii Medycznej w Białymstoku. twlapinski@poczta.onet.pl
Grzeszczuk
Anna
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D014280:Triglycerides; D000641:Ammonia; D002784:Cholesterol; D002331:Carnitine