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l-Carnitine mediates protection against DNA damage in lymphocytes of aged rats

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Abstract

It has been proposed that age-associated disorders are related to a time-dependent shift in the antioxidant/prooxidant balance towards oxidative damage. Increased production of oxidants in vivo can cause damage to intracellular macromolecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids, which can in turn lead to oxidative injury. Carnitine is a vitamin-like compound that serves as a carrier to transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for β-oxidation. In the present study, the effect of l-carnitine, a widely recognized essential nutrient, was evaluated on the status of lipid peroxidation and certain antioxidant enzymes and DNA damage in lymphocytes with relation to age in male wistar rats. The levels of lipid peroxides were remarkably increased whereas, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased in aged control animals when compared to younger controls. In aged animals, administration of l-carnitine for 21 days significantly decreased the levels of lipid peroxides and improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. l-Carnitine enhanced T-cell proliferative responses as evaluated by T-cell proliferation assay using [3H] thymidine incorporation and also significantly reduced DNA damage, apoptosis and TNF-α level in lymphocytes of aged animals. Our results suggest that l-carnitine may have a vital role in improving functions in the cells of the immune system particularly the lymphocytes possibly through its antioxidant action.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the financial support offered by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, New Delhi, India). There are no conflicts of interest financial or otherwise. The work and manuscript was by Thangasamy T., Jeyakumar P. contributed to the lymphocyte proliferation study and assisted all cell culture studies, Sittadjody S. assisted with the Leukocyte migration inhibition studies and carried out the statistical analysis, Joyee A. G. assisted with the apoptosis studies and all cell culture studies and Chinnakannu P. served as the Principal Investigator.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Room 336, Shantz Building, 1177 East 4th street, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    Thilakavathy Thangasamy & Sivanandane Sittadjody

  2. Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. AL Mudaliar Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India

    Thilakavathy Thangasamy & Panneerselvam Chinnakannu

  3. Department of Microbiology, Dr. AL Mudaliar Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India

    Preethy Jeyakumar & Antony George Joyee

  4. Department of Endocrinology, Dr. AL Mudaliar Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India

    Sivanandane Sittadjody

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  1. Thilakavathy Thangasamy
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  2. Preethy Jeyakumar
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  3. Sivanandane Sittadjody
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Correspondence to Thilakavathy Thangasamy.

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Thangasamy, T., Jeyakumar, P., Sittadjody, S. et al. l-Carnitine mediates protection against DNA damage in lymphocytes of aged rats. Biogerontology 10, 163–172 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-008-9159-1

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