The effects of l-carnitine treatment on left ventricular function and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

Adalet GürlekaCorresponding Author Information, Eralp Tutara, Ethem Akçilb, İrem Dinçera, Çetin Erola, Pelin A. Kocatürkb, Derviş Orala (1 June 2000) Received 23 September 1999; received in revised form 17 January 2000; accepted 16 February 2000.

Abstract
We studied the effects of l-carnitine on left ventricular systolic function and the erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity in 51 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. They all previously were under the treatment of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, digitalis and diuretics. Patients were randomized into two groups. In group I (n=31), 2 g/day l-carnitine was added to therapy. l-Carnitine was not given to the other 20 patients (Group II). In group I (mean age 64.3±7.8 years), 27 of the patients were men, and four were women. In group II (mean age 66.2±8.7 years), 17 of the patients were men, and three were women. Twenty age-matched healthy subjects (mean age: 60.1±5.3 years) constituted the control group. In each group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by echocardiography and red cell superoxide dismutase activity by spectrophotometric method were measured initially and after 1 month of randomisation. Compared with normal healthy subjects (n=20), patients (n=51) had significantly higher red cell SOD activity (5633±1225 vs. 3202±373 U/g Hb, P<0.001). At the end of 1 month of l-carnitine therapy, red cell SOD activity showed an increase in group I (5918±1448 to 7218±1917 U/g Hb, P<0.05). In group II, red cell SOD activity showed no significant change after 1 month of randomisation (5190±545 to 5234±487 U/g Hb, P=0.256). One month after randomisation there was a significant increase in LVEF in both groups I and II (37.8–42.3%, P<0.001 in group I; 41.5–43.8%, P<0.001 in group II). The improvement in LVEF was more significant in the l-carnitine group (4.5% vs. 2.3%, P<0.01). We conclude that, as a sign of increased free radical production, superoxide dismutase activity was further increased in patients with l-carnitine treatment. l-Carnitine treatment in combination with other traditional pharmacological therapy might have an additive effect for the improvement of left ventricular function in ischemic cardiomyopathy. Keywords: Ischemic cardiomyopathy, l-Carnitine, Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase

a Department of Cardiology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

b Department of Pathophysiology, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Birlik Mahallesi 11.sokak 24/15, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey. Tel.: +90-312-3103333; fax: +90-312-3125251

PII: S1388-9842(00)00064-7

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