title: Treatment with Carnitine Enhances Bone Fracture Healing under Osteoporotic and/or Inflammatory Conditions.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of carnitine on bone healing in ovariectomy (OVX) and inflammation (INF)-induced osteoporotic rats. The rats were randomly divided into nine groups (n = 8 animals per group): sham-operated (Group 1: SHAM); sham + magnesium silicate (Mg-silicate) (Group 2: SHAM + INF); ovariectomy (Group 3: OVX); ovariectomy + femoral fracture (Group 4: OVX + FRC); ovariectomy + femoral fracture + Mg-silicate (Group 5: OVX + FRC + INF); ovariectomy + femoral fracture + carnitine 50 mg/kg (Group 6: OVX + FRC + CAR50); ovariectomy + femoral fracture + carnitine 100 mg/kg (Group 7: OVX + FRC + CAR100); ovariectomy + femoral fracture + Mg-silicate + carnitine 50 mg/kg (Group 8: OVX + FRC + INF + CAR50); and ovariectomy + femoral fracture + Mg-silicate + carnitine 100 mg/kg (Group 9: OVX + FRC + INF + CAR100). Eight weeks after OVX, which allowed for osteoporosis to develop, INF was induced with subcutaneous Mg-silicate. On day 80, all of the rats in groups 4-9 underwent fracture operation on the right femur. Bone mineral density (BMD) showed statistically significant improvements in the treatment groups. The serum markers of bone turnover (osteocalcin and osteopontin) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumour necrosis factor α, interleukin 1β and interleukin 6) were decreased in the treatment group. The X-ray images showed significantly increased callus formation and fracture healing in the groups treated with carnitine. The present results show that in a rat model with osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy and Mg-silicate, treatment with carnitine improves the healing of femur fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zekai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Halici
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdulmecit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albayrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ataturk University Faculty of Pharmacy, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Beyzagul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ataturk University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karakus
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer Selim
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Ataturk University Faculty of Pharmacy, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bayir
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cadirci
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arif Kursad
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Sevket Yilmaz Education and Research Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Murat
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Aksakal
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D002331:Carnitine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000150:complications*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015675:Osteocalcin; D053495:Osteopontin; D002331:Carnitine