title: Protective effect of L-carnitine in a rat model of retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of L-carnitine (LC) on rats with oxygen-induced retinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 40 Sprague Dawley rat pups. The rat pups were randomly divided into 4 groups: group 1 (n = 10) the healthy control group with intraperitoneal 0.1 mL/day physiological saline injection; group 2 (n = 10), exposed to hyperoxygen, did not receive LC but received 0.1 mL/day physiological saline intraperitoneally; group 3 (n = 10), exposed to hyperoxygen and received 100 mg/kg/day LC intraperitoneally; group 4 (n = 10), exposed to hyperoxygen and received 200 mg/kg/ day LC intraperitoneally. After postnatal day 20, the rat pups were killed and an histological examination was performed on the eyes, in addition to the detection of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The retinal and choroidal histopathological changes due to hyperoxygen were less in group 3 and minimal in group 4 compared with group 2. Compared with the healthy control group, the increase in the MDA levels in group 2 was significant (P <0.05). Compared with group 2 there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the MDA levels in groups 3 and 4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LC has beneficial effects on oxygen-induced retinopathy in rats in terms of histopathological changes and MDA levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. opdr_sadullah@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sadullah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keleş
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Caner
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ateş
authors.forename: Özgiir
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Çakici
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saruhan
authors.forename: Uğur Yilmaz
authors.initials: UY
authors.lastname: Mumcu
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ünal
authors.forename: Kadir Şerafettin
authors.initials: KŞ
authors.lastname: Tekgündüz
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taştekin
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hacimüftüoğlu
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gürsans
authors.forename: Hamit Hakan
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Alp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D020011:Protective Agents; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002331:Carnitine; D010100:Oxygen