TY - JOUR
T1 - L-Carnitine
T2 - Effect of intravenous administration of fuel homeostasis in normal subjects and home-parenteral-nutrition patients with low plasma carnitine concentrations
AU - Bowyer, B. A.
AU - Fleming, C. R.
AU - Haymond, M. W.
AU - Miles, J. M.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1989
Y1 - 1989
N2 - We studied the effects of intravenous L-carnitine on the metabolism of fatty acids, ketone bodies, glucose, and branched-chain amino acids in four normal volunteers and four patients on long-term home parenteral nutrition (HPN) with low plasma carnitine concentrations. Substrate kinetics were determined by use of [1-14C]palmitate, [3,4-13C2]-acetoacetate, [6,6-2H2]glucose, and [5,5,5-2H3]leucine before and during a 3-h intravenous infusion of L-carnitine. HPN patients were restudied after 1 mo of nightly intravenous carnitine administration. HPN patients tolerated the short-term fast well, exhibiting neither hypoglycemia nor hypoketonemia. Intravenous carnitine had no effect on rates of fatty acids oxidation, ketone body production, glucose production, or leucine kinetics in either group. Routine addition of carnitine to the HPN regimen does not appear to be necessary. The failure of L-carnitine administration to have discernable effects on intermediary metabolism in normal volunteers casts doubt on its role in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions.
AB - We studied the effects of intravenous L-carnitine on the metabolism of fatty acids, ketone bodies, glucose, and branched-chain amino acids in four normal volunteers and four patients on long-term home parenteral nutrition (HPN) with low plasma carnitine concentrations. Substrate kinetics were determined by use of [1-14C]palmitate, [3,4-13C2]-acetoacetate, [6,6-2H2]glucose, and [5,5,5-2H3]leucine before and during a 3-h intravenous infusion of L-carnitine. HPN patients were restudied after 1 mo of nightly intravenous carnitine administration. HPN patients tolerated the short-term fast well, exhibiting neither hypoglycemia nor hypoketonemia. Intravenous carnitine had no effect on rates of fatty acids oxidation, ketone body production, glucose production, or leucine kinetics in either group. Routine addition of carnitine to the HPN regimen does not appear to be necessary. The failure of L-carnitine administration to have discernable effects on intermediary metabolism in normal volunteers casts doubt on its role in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions.
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U2 - 10.1093/ajcn/49.4.618
DO - 10.1093/ajcn/49.4.618
M3 - Article
C2 - 2494879
AN - SCOPUS:0024556729
SN - 0002-9165
VL - 49
SP - 618
EP - 623
JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
IS - 4
ER -