title: Ultrastructural aspects of the effects of L-carnitine administration on epithelial cells in the aging rat tongue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The investigators hypothesized that degenerative changes accumulate in epithelial cells in the aging rat tongue and that carnitine administration is effective at reversing these alterations.
  
  
  METHODS
  To gain insights into the effects of carnitine on epithelial cells of the tongue, the investigators used 15 Wistar rats [3 experimental groups: 5- (A), 12- (B) and 18- (C) month old rats] with 4 rats per group and 1 control group with 1 rat per age group). L-carnitine was administered intraperitoneally to animals of the experimental group for 35 days. Samples of the tongue were processed for electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Degeneration of epithelial cells of the rat tongue was shown to begin early in life (5 months) and alterations were shown to accumulate while aging. L-carnitine administration eliminated degenerative changes when administered in the first age group A, while in the older rats the regeneration was only partial for the epithelium (groups B and C).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that profound ultrastructural alterations commence in the degenerating rat tongue and that L-carnitine administration results into partial regeneration of epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Catheterization Laboratory, Medical Clinic I, Lukas Hospital, Neuss, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barlagiannis
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Aristotles University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Em
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, General Hospital Georgios Papanikolaou, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papaliagkas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Caring Professions, Technological Educational Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makri
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Aristotles University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toskas
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School, Aristotles University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Papamitsou
keywords: Carnitine; electron; microscopy; tongue