Di Marzio L, Moretti S, D'Alò S, Zazzeroni F, Marcellini S, Smacchia C, Alesse E, Cifone M G, De Simone C
Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
Clin Immunol. 1999 Jul;92(1):103-10. doi: 10.1006/clim.1999.4727.
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of long-term acetyl-L-carnitine administration on CD4 and CD8 absolute counts, apoptosis, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) serum levels in HIV-1-infected subjects. The generation of cell-associated ceramide and HIV-1 viremia were also investigated. Eleven asymptomatic, HIV-1-infected subjects were treated daily with acetyl-L-carnitine (3 g) for 5 months. Immunologic and virologic measures and safety were monitored at the start of the treatment and then on days 90 and 150. Altogether our findings suggest that acetyl-L-carnitine administration has a substantial impact on the main immunologic abnormality associated with HIV infection, the loss of CD4 cells, by reducing the rate of apoptotic lymphocyte death. The reduction of ceramide generation and the increase of the serum levels of IGF-1, a major survival factor able to protect cells from apoptosis by different stimuli and conditions, could represent two important mechanisms underlying the observed anti-apoptotic effects of acetyl-L-carnitine.
本研究的目的是调查长期给予乙酰-L-肉碱对HIV-1感染受试者的CD4和CD8绝对计数、细胞凋亡以及胰岛素样生长因子-1（IGF-1）血清水平的影响。同时还研究了细胞相关神经酰胺的生成和HIV-1病毒血症情况。11名无症状的HIV-1感染受试者每天接受乙酰-L-肉碱（3克）治疗，为期5个月。在治疗开始时以及第90天和第150天监测免疫和病毒学指标以及安全性。我们的研究结果总体表明，给予乙酰-L-肉碱通过降低凋亡淋巴细胞死亡速率，对与HIV感染相关的主要免疫异常——CD4细胞减少，产生了重大影响。神经酰胺生成的减少以及IGF-1血清水平的升高，IGF-1是一种主要的生存因子，能够在不同刺激和条件下保护细胞免于凋亡，这可能是乙酰-L-肉碱所观察到的抗凋亡作用的两个重要机制。
