title: l-carnitine protects rat hepatocytes from oxidative stress induced by T-2 toxin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be the main mechanism of T-2 toxin toxicity. T-2 toxin is the most potent trichothecene mycotoxin which is present in agricultural products. L-carnitine, besides its anti-oxidative properties, facilitates the transportation of long-chain fatty acids in to mitochondrial matrix.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study we tested whether L-carnitine, an antioxidant and a facilitator for long-chain fatty acid transportation across mitochondrial membranes, could protect rat hepatocytes against toxicity induced by T-2 toxin.
  
  
  METHODS
  L-carnitine in low and high doses (50 and 500 mg/kg) was administered for five consecutive days to male Wistar rats. Hepatocytes were isolated and freshly exposed to appropriate concentration of T-2 toxin for 2 h followed by oxidative stress and cell death evaluations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glutathione depletion, ROS overproduction and mitochondrial membrane potential collapse were determined under T-2 toxin exposure. Pretreatment with L-carnitine particularly at high-dose reduced toxicity and prevented the hepatocytes from abnormal caspase-3 activity and apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low toxicity of L-carnitine and its mitochondrial protective effects promises an effective way to reduce or prevent the toxicity induced by certain environmental pollutants, including T-2 toxin.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz , Iran .
authors.forename: Mehrnoosh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moosavi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz , Iran .|b Department of Toxicology , Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaei
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz , Iran .
authors.forename: Heibatullah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalantari
authors.affiliation: c Department of Food and Drug Analysis , School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz , Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolazim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Behfar
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz , Iran .
authors.forename: Golnaz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varnaseri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020552:Comet Assay; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013605:T-2 Toxin; D002331:Carnitine
keywords: T-2 toxin; apoptosis; l-carnitine; mitochondria; rat hepatocyte