title: Acetyl-L-carnitineameliorates mitochondrial damage and apoptosis following spinal cord injury in rats.
abstract: Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) facilitates the entry and exit of fatty acids from mitochondria and plays an essential role in energy metabolism. Although ALC is known to exert neuroprotective effects in multiple neurological diseases, its effects on spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced mitochondrial impairments and apoptosis remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the putative effects of ALC on mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis induced by SCI in a rodent model. Our results indicate that SCI elicits dynamic alternations in the expression of mitochondria-related proteins. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that ALC administration abrogated key ultrastructural abnormalities in mitochondria at 24h after SCI by maintaining mitochondrial length, reducing the number of damaged mitochondria, and reversing mitochondrial score (P<0.05 compared with SCI group). In addition, ALC administration maintained the mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity following SCI (P<0.05 compared with SCI group). ALC administration reversed the downregulation of mitofusin 1 (Mfn1), Mfn2, Bcl-2, and the upregulation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), mitochondrial fission 1 (Fis1), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and cytosol cytochrome c (cyto-CytC) induced by SCI (P<0.05 compared with SCI group). Finally ALC administration greatly reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells compared with the SCI group (P<0.01). In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that ALC ameliorated SCI-induced mitochondrial structural alternations, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhen-yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-kai
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-qiang
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou 121000, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: De-shui
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China. Electronic address: ganglv_cmu@126.com.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000108:Acetylcarnitine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000108:Acetylcarnitine; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase
keywords: Acetyl-l-carnitine; Apoptosis; Fission; Fusion; Mitochondria; Spinal cord injury