Maccari F, Arseni A, Chiodi P, Ramacci M T, Angelucci L
Institute for Research on Senescence, Sigma-Tau S.p.A., Pomezia, Rome, Italy.
Exp Gerontol. 1990;25(2):127-34. doi: 10.1016/0531-5565(90)90043-2.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2, 5, 16, 20 and 30 months and normally fed, were used for determination of carnitines in the brain, serum, heart, tibial muscle, liver and urine. With respect to 5-month-old animals, those aged 30 months exhibited a statistically significant decrement of total carnitine levels in the brain, serum, heart and tibial muscle, accompanied by a dramatic increment in the liver. This suggests impaired net transport of carnitines from the liver to the blood in old age. Urinary excretion was similar in the two age groups. One group received from 5 months on daily 75 mg/kg acetyl-L-carnitine in drinking water. At 20 months, the treated animals showed levels of brain, heart and serum carnitines similar to those of 5-month-old animals. The recovery of brain, heart and serum carnitines in the old animals treated with acetyl-L-carnitine indicates that intestinal absorption and tissue uptake remain sufficiently efficient in the course of aging. The lower level of brain lipofuscins due to acetyl-L-carnitine treatment may be related to the effect of the compound on acetylcholine metabolism.
选用2、5、16、20和30月龄正常喂养的雄性斯普拉格-道利大鼠，用于测定其脑、血清、心脏、胫骨肌肉、肝脏和尿液中的肉碱含量。与5月龄动物相比，30月龄动物脑、血清、心脏和胫骨肌肉中的总肉碱水平有统计学意义的下降，同时肝脏中的总肉碱水平显著增加。这表明老年时肉碱从肝脏到血液的净转运受损。两个年龄组的尿排泄情况相似。一组从5月龄开始每天在饮用水中给予75 mg/kg乙酰-L-肉碱。在20月龄时，接受治疗的动物脑、心脏和血清中的肉碱水平与5月龄动物相似。用乙酰-L-肉碱治疗的老年动物脑、心脏和血清中肉碱的恢复表明，在衰老过程中肠道吸收和组织摄取仍然足够有效。乙酰-L-肉碱治疗导致脑脂褐素水平降低可能与该化合物对乙酰胆碱代谢的影响有关。
