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Effects of carnitine on the ischemic arrested heart

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Summary

We investigated the effect of L-carnitine on the recovery of cardiac function after ischemic arrest in the perfused rat heart. L-carnitine was added to a cardioplegic solution, both as a free base and hydrochloride. The addition of L-carnitine as a free base to the solution had no effect on recovery of cardiac function. When L-carnitine HCl was added to the cardioplegic solution, it was necessary to adjust the pH of the solution to 7.4. The hearts arrested with this solution showed a greater incidence of reperfusion dysrhythmias than those in the control or the free base solution, but the overall recovery of cardiac function was the same as control. The hydrochloride of L-carnitine is strongly acidic, and these findings indicate that either the free base or a properly buffered solution must be used to study effects of carnitine upon cardiac function.

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Author notes

  1. D. J. Paulson

    Present address: Departments of Physiology, Neurology, and Nutritional Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53706, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Administration Hospital, 53706, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    A. L. Shug

Authors
  1. D. J. Paulson
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  2. A. L. Shug
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Additional information

Supported in part by the Research Service of Veterans Administration and NIH grant HL-17736.

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Paulson, D.J., Shug, A.L. Effects of carnitine on the ischemic arrested heart. Basic Res Cardiol 77, 460–463 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02005345

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02005345

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