Carnitine concentration in relation to enzyme activities and substrate utilization in human skeletal muscles.

The relationships between the carnitine concentration and enzyme activities representative of different metabolic pathways, glycogenolysis, glycolysis, beta-oxidation of fatty acids, citric acid cycle, and respiratory chain were studied in skeletal muscle tissue from 18 volunteering subjects. In addition, the in vitro incorporation rates of glucose-carbon and palmitate-carbon into different metabolites, and the concentration of glycogen, triglycerides, and phospholipids were determined in the same tissue specimen. The carnitine concentration correlated positively and statistically significantly with the activities of 3-OH-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and citrate synthase, with the incorporation rate of palmitate-carbon into CO2, and the incorporation rate of glucose-carbon into lactate in the muscle tissue. The results indicate a coupling between the concentration of carnitine and the capacity for long-chained fatty acid oxidation in human skeletal muscles.