title: Oral carnitine supplementation influences mental health parameters and biomarkers of oxidative stress in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Limited data are available assessing the effects of oral carnitine supplementation on mental health parameters and biomarkers of oxidative stress of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).This study was designed to determine the effects of oral carnitine supplementation on mental health parameters and biomarkers of oxidative stress in women with PCOS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 60 patients diagnosed with PCOS were randomized to take either 250 mg carnitine supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 weeks' intervention, compared with the placebo, carnitine supplementation resulted in a significant improvement in Beck Depression Inventory total score (-2.7 ± 2.3 versus -0.2 ± 0.7, p < 0.001), General Health Questionnaire scores (-6.9 ± 4.9 versus -0.9 ± 1.5, p < 0.001) and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale scores (-8.7 ± 5.9 versus -1.2 ± 2.9, p = 0.001). In addition, changes in plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (+84.1 ± 151.8 versus +4.6 ± 64.5 mmol/L, p = 0.01), malondialdehyde (MDA) (-0.4 ± 1.0 versus  +0.5 ± 1.5 μmol/L, p = 0.01) and MDA/TAC ratio (-0.0005 ± 0.0010 versus +0.0006 ± 0.0019, p = 0.003) in the supplemented group were significantly different from the changes in these indicators in the placebo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, our study demonstrated that carnitine supplementation for 12 weeks among patients with PCOS had favorable effects on parameters of mental health and biomarkers of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , Arak University of Medical Sciences , Arak , Iran.
authors.forename: Hamidreza
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jamilian
authors.affiliation: b Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences , Arak , Iran.
authors.forename: Mehri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamilian
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Mansooreh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Samimi
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Faraneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Afshar Ebrahimi
authors.affiliation: d Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.affiliation: e Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Fereshteh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bahmani
authors.affiliation: e Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Sama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aghababayan
authors.affiliation: e Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Mobina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouhi
authors.affiliation: e Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Sedighe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shahabbaspour
authors.affiliation: e Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences , Kashan , Iran.
authors.forename: Zatollah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Asemi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002331:Carnitine
keywords: Carnititine; mental health; oxidative stress; polycystic ovary syndrome