Objective: To observe the preventive and therapeutic effects of L-carnitine on the metabolic disorder and cardiac remodeling in alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Methods: Experimental animals were divided into three groups: alcohol-fed group (A), an alcohol/L-carnitine fed group (B) and a control group (C). Free fatty acid (FFA) and carnitine were detected in the blood serum at different time. mRNA and protein expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARalpha and PPARgamma), retinoic acid receptor retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha), carnitine palmitoyl transferase isoform and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) were observed with RT-PCR and Western blotting methods.
Results: (1) When group A and B were compared with group C, FFA was increased and carnitine was decreased; mRNA and protein expressions of PPARalpha, RXRalpha, CPT-I and MCAD were decreased with the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy(ACM), being more significantly in group A than group B (P < 0.05). (2) mRNA and protein expressions of PPARgamma had no statistical significance between these three groups at the end of 2 and 4 months (P > 0.05), but after 6 months, they were increased in group B and decreased in group A (A vs. C, P < 0.01; B vs. C, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Metabolic disorder and cardiac remodeling occur in the development process of ACM; they are partly prevented by L-carnitine through downregulating mRNA and protein expressions of PPARalpha, RXRalpha, CPT-I, MCAD and PPARgamma.