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The effects of carnitine on myocardial carbohydrate metabolism

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The Carnitine System

Part of the book series: Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine ((DICM,volume 162))

Abstract

The mammalian heart primarily meets its requirements for energy through the oxidation of fatty acids [1]. The oxidation of glucose and lactate provides most of the remaining energy needs, with glycolysis providing an additional small amount of ATP production [1, 2, 3]. An important step in the oxidation of fatty acids is the translocation of fatty acyl-CoA into the inner mitochondrial space. This is achieved by a carnitine mediated translocation involving carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) I, carnitine acyltranslocase and CPT II (see Figure 1). By virtue of its role as a carrier, therefore, carnitine is essential for the oxidation of long chain fatty acids.

“L-propionylcarnitine administration to intact hearts increases myocardial carnitine content and results in a dramatic increase in the contribution of glucose oxidation to ATP production. Stimulation of carbohydrate oxidation may partly explain the beneficial effects of L-carnitine and L-propionylcarnitine in diabetes and hypertrophy.”

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Disease Research Group, 423 Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2S2

    Dr Gary D. Lopaschuk

Authors
  1. Brett O. Schönekess
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  2. Dr Gary D. Lopaschuk
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    J. W. De Jong

  2. Cattedra di Cardiologia, UniversitĂ  degli Studi di Brescia, Fondazione Clinica del Lavoro di Pavia, Gussago/Brescia, Italy

    R. Ferrari

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Schönekess, B.O., Lopaschuk, G.D. (1995). The effects of carnitine on myocardial carbohydrate metabolism. In: De Jong, J.W., Ferrari, R. (eds) The Carnitine System. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol 162. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0275-9_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0275-9_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4122-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0275-9

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