Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine and oxfenicine on aorta stiffness in diabetic rats
Journal
European Journal of Clinical Investigation
Journal Volume
40
Journal Issue
11
Pages
1002-1010
Date Issued
2010
Author(s)
Abstract
Background: We compared the haemodynamic and metabolic effects of acetyl-L-carnitine (one of the carnitine derivatives) and of oxfenicine (a carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 inhibitor) in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in male Wistar rats. Materials and methods: Diabetes was induced by a single tail vein injection of 55 mg kg-1 streptozotocin. The diabetic animals daily treated with either acetyl-L-carnitine (150 mg kg-1 in drinking water) or oxfenicine (150 mg kg-1 by oral gavage) for 8 weeks, were compared with the untreated age-matched diabetic controls. Arterial wave reflection was derived using the impulse response function of the filtered aortic input impedance spectra. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) measurement was used to estimate malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Results: Oxfenicine, but not acetyl-L-carnitine, increased total peripheral resistance in diabetes, which paralleled its elevation in plasma levels of free fatty acids. By contrast, acetyl-L-carnitine, but not oxfenicine, resulted in a significant increase in wave transit time and a decrease in wave reflection factor, suggesting that acetyl-L-carnitine may attenuate the diabetes-induced deterioration in systolic loading condition for the left ventricle. This was in parallel with its lowering of MDA/TBARS content in plasma and aortic walls in diabetes. Acetyl-L-carnitine therapy also prevented the diabetes-related cardiac hypertrophy, as evidenced by the reduction in ratio of the left ventricular weight to body weight. Conclusion: Acetyl-L-carnitine, but not oxfenicine, attenuates aortic stiffening and cardiac hypertrophy, possibly through its decrease of lipid oxidation-derived MDA/TBARS in the rats with insulin deficiency. ? 2010 The Authors. European Journal of Clinical Investigation ? 2010 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.
SDGs
Other Subjects
fatty acid; glucose; levacecarnine; malonaldehyde; oxfenicine; thiobarbituric acid reactive substance; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; aorta flow; arterial stiffness; article; body weight; controlled study; drug effect; fatty acid blood level; glucose blood level; heart left ventricle mass; heart ventricle hypertrophy; hemodynamics; lipid peroxidation; male; nonhuman; priority journal; rat; streptozocin diabetes; systole; vascular resistance; Acetylcarnitine; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Aorta; Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Enzyme Inhibitors; Male; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Vitamin B Complex
Type
journal article