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Carnitine and lactate metabolism

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The Carnitine System

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

Abstract

The pharmacological activity of L-carnitine presents various aspects. The best known function of L-carnitine is the transport of long-chain fatty acids from cytosol across the inner mitochondrial membrane into the mitochondrial matrix, the site of jβ-oxidation [1]. Long-chain acyl-CoA cannot pass through the inner mitochondrial membrane, but their metabolic product, acylcarnitine, formed by the action of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I, an enzyme located on the outer surface of the inner mitochondrial membrane, can. Another enzyme, carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase exchanges carnitine (out) with acyl-carnitine (in) in a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 and ensures the constancy of the intramitochondrial carnitine pool. The incoming acylcarnitine reacts with CoA. This reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase II, which is attached to the inside of the inner membrane. Thus, acyl-CoA is reformed in the mitochondrial matrix, and carnitine is made available for exchange by the translocase [2, 3].

“In all studies L-carnitine converted lactate production at peak pacing stress into extraction, thus preventing anaerobiosis. In addition, there was an increase in the uptake of free fatty acids as well as in that of glucose, confirming the role of L-carnitine as a metabolic modulator, improving not only FFA, but also carbohydrate metabolism.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cattedra di Cardiologia, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Spedali Civili, P.le Spedali Civili, 1, I-25123, Brescia, Italy

    Professor Roberto Ferrari

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  1. Professor Roberto Ferrari
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  2. Odoardo Visioli
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    J. W. De Jong

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

    R. Ferrari

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Ferrari, R., Visioli, O. (1995). Carnitine and lactate 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_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0275-9_15

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