Whole body fat oxidation before and after carnitine supplementation in uremic patients on chronic haemodialysis.

This study has evaluated whether uremic patients on chronic haemodialysis with subnormal plasma levels of free carnitine show any alterations in whole body fat oxidation before and after one week with carnitine supplementation (60 mg/kg/day). Carnitine plasma levels changed from subnormal to supranormal levels of both free and total carnitine concentrations. This increase was not associated with any alteration in either oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, respiratory quotient or blood substrate levels such as glucose, glycerol, free fatty acids and lactate. The fractional oxidation of an intravenously infused fat emulsion (Intralipid) was 17% before and 19% after carnitine supplementation. No side effects were observed in spite of the rather high dose of carnitine administration. This study failed to demonstrate any impact on net whole body fat oxidation in carnitine substituted uremic patients with initially subnormal levels of free plasma carnitine.