title: In vivo effect of acetyl-L-carnitine on succinate oxidation, adenine nucleotide pool and lipid composition of synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from cerebral hemispheres of senescent rats.
abstract: The effect of acetyl-L-carnitine on succinate oxidation, adenine nucleotide pool and lipid composition of synaptic and 'free', non-synaptic, mitochondria in cerebral hemispheres of senescent rats has been studied. Fisher rats (24- or 28-month-old) were treated with acetyl-L-carnitine (300 mg/kg body wt., intraperitoneally (i.p.)) 3 h before being killed. Oxygen consumption was measured using succinate as a substrate; adenine nucleotides and lipids were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Acetyl-L-carnitine reverses, in synaptic mitochondria, the age-related decrease in the respiratory control ratio due to a higher state 4 respiration rate. Administration of acetyl-L-carnitine to senescent rats does not affect the total adenine nucleotide pool of synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria which was unchanged with age. Finally, pretreatment of senescent rats with acetyl-L-carnitine brings the cholesterol and phospholipid contents of synaptic mitochondria, reduced in senescent rats, to the adult level; pretreatment of adult rats has no such effect. Altogether these results suggest that acetyl-L-carnitine is able to reverse age-related deficits of brain mitochondria.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare e Centro Studi su Mitocondri e Metabolismo Energetico, Università di Bari, Bari, Italia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Petruzzella
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Baggetto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Penin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cafagna
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cantatore
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gadaleta