Carnitine


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carnitine

[′kär·nə‚tēn]
(biochemistry)
C7H15NO3α-Amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid trimethylbetaine; a constituent of striated muscle and liver, identical with vitamin B T.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Carnitine

 

betaine-γ-amino-β-oxybutyric acid, (CH3)3NCH2CH(OH)CH2CO2−, a crystalline compound with basic properties; dissolves readily in water and alcohol. Its molecular mass is 161.21, and its melting point, 195°-197°C (with decomposition).

Carnitine is primarily found in animal muscle, from which it was first extracted by V. S. Gulevich (1905); it is also found in bacteria and plants. It takes part in fatty exchange within an organism by acting as a carrier of fatty acid radicals through the membranes of the mitochondria. These membranes are impermeable to activated fatty acids (compounds with coenzyme A). With the aid of carnitine, therefore, fatty acids enter the scope of activity of the oxidizing enzymes localized within the mitochondria. Carnitine apparently also participates in the reverse transport of fatty acids. It is an essential dietary constituent and a growth factor in certain insects; therefore it is considered to be a vitamin (vitamin BT).

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Indeed, also no difference was recorded in the weight gain, hematological parameters and serum concentration of free carnitine between Winstar rats fed diets supplemented with L- or DL-carnitine (Bazotte & Lopes-Bertolini, 2012).
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Spot blood carnitine profile, blood amino acid, urine organic acid, lactic acid and pyruvic acid were normal in repeated analyses.
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Carnitine biosynthesis is increased in conditions in which rates of FA oxidation are chronically elevated, such as caloric restriction, fasting, and high-fat feeding [5-7].
Biosynthesis of the essential fatty acid oxidation cofactor carnitine is stimulated in heart and liver after a single bout of exercise in mice
Echocardiography performed within 24 hours of commencing carnitine replacement revealed a dilated cardiomyopathy.
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Carnitine supplementation has also been used to treat those who are overweight or obese.
Effects of L-carnitine supplementation on metabolic utilization of oxygen and lipid profile among trained and untrained humans
The demonstration of strong positive relationship of free L-carnitine with functional spermatozoal characteristics in this study have further validated the fact that intrasperm L-carnitine is involved in mitochondrial energetics, keeping in mind the various studies which demonstrated carnitine uptake and expression of OCTN2 and OCTN3 carnitine transporters in mouse sperm,13 correlation of intrasperm L-carnitine with motility and survival in cervical mucus of bovine,29 and acetylcarnitine contributing acetyl groups for energy production in Boar spermatozoa.30
Relationship of seminal free L-Carnitine with functional spermatozoal characteristics: Results from an observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan
'This adds to the growing body of data reinforcing a connection between red meat, carnitine ingestion and heart disease development,' said lead author Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of Translational Research for the Lerner Research Institute and Section Head of Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation, according to a report by the Cleveland Health Clinic.
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In this case, the child was supplemented with L-carnitine to correct the secondary carnitine deficiency and has remained asymptomatic with normal growth and development.
A Case of Increased C5-OH Acylcarnitine
"My experience with carnitine and our Barrier System would require a thick book that no one would read," he said.
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Carnitine deficiencies are divided into two categories, primary carnitine deficiency and secondary carnitine deficiency (SCD).
Screening of free carnitine and acylcarnitine status in children with familial Mediterranean fever
An article in Cell Reports reveals the finding of a potential role for carnitine as a prenatal supplement to protect against autism in unborn children.
Research suggests prenatal carnitine supplementation could help prevent some cases of autism

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