This work was carried out in order to investigate the role of Lcamitine
in protection against acute myocardial infarction as well as acute
renal failure induced experimentally in hypercholesterolemic rats.
Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding rats 5% cholesterol
enriched diet for 30 days.
The study included two main parts. In the first part, isoprenaline
HC1 was used (300 mg/kg I.P.) to induce acute myocardial infarction in
rats. The results of this part revealed that, hypercholesterolemia
significantly increased all the parameters which evaluate the cardiac
necrosis (T wave voltage, CPK level and infarct size %) . Daily
administration of L-carnitine (200 mg/kg orally) for 30 days induced
significant decrease in serum total cholesterol, TG. LDL as well as
significant decrease in all the indices of cardiac necrosis when compared
to their corresponding values in the rats fed 5% cholesterol enriched diet
but not treated with L-carnitine .
In the second part of the study, acute renal failure was induced in
rats by I.M. injection of hypertonic glycerol (50%) in a dose of 10 ml/kg.
The results of this part showed that hypercholesterolemia significantly
aggravated the acute renal failure induced by glycerol. Daily
administration of L-carnitine for 30 days normalized the lipid perofile
(total cholesterol, TG, LDL and HDL) and significantly decreased serum
urea, creatinine, Na+ and K+ compared to their corresponding values in
L-carnitine non treated glycerol injected rats. All the results of this work
were also confirmed by the histopathological exmination of the hearts and
kidneys of the tested rats . So, it may be concluded that : 1-
Hypercholesterolemia aggrevates the acute myocardial infarction as well
as the acute renal failure induced experimentally in rats. 2- Daily
administration of L-camitine for 30 days normalizes the lipid profile of
the rats fed cholesterol enriched diet . 3- L-carnitine administration
provides an evident cardiac and renal protective effects. 4- The
cardioprotective and renoprotective effects of L-carnitine may be
attributable to its lipid lowering and antioxidant effects and/or its role in
improving fatty acids metabolism and energy production at the
mitochondrial level. |
