title: Amelioration of popolysaccharide-induced sepsis in rats by free and esterified carnitine.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine if free or esterified carnitine could alter fatty acid metabolism and ameliorate sepsis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats. Throughout a 96 h observation post-LPS, i.p. administration of both markedly reduced illness and accelerated recovery. Carnitine prevented the acute LPS-induced rise in serum triglycerides (45 +/- 6, 59 +/- 5 vs. 83 +/- 8 mg/ml, p < 0.001), respectively. This difference was accompanied by a significant increase in liver lipogenesis in LPS controls compared to both carnitines and normal rats (6.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.5, 4.3 +/- 0.5, and 1.8 +/- 0.4 mumol/h, respectively, p < 0.04). Compared to normal rats, total liver carnitine was significantly elevated in LPS controls and even higher in the carnitine groups (357 +/- 40 vs. 736 +/- 38, 796 +/- 79, and 1081 +/- 21 nmol/g). The data suggest that carnitines may be of therapeutic value in sepsis treatment and one action may be to partition fatty acids from esterification to oxidation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The George Washington University Medical Center 2300 Eye Street N.W. Washington, DC 20037 USA.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Orfalian
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiskum