Serum lipid and fatty acid profiles in adriamycin-treated rats after administration of L-carnitine.

Cardiomyopathy induced by Adriamycin (ADR) is a cause of congestive heart failure. Recently, it has been suggested that ADR inhibits the carnitine palmitoyltransferase system (CPT I) and consequently the transport of long-chain fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes. This study was devised to ascertain how ADR affects serum lipid and fatty acid metabolism in rats given ADR with and without L-carnitine supplementation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. The first group was the control. The second group was given intraperitoneal injections of ADR (5 mg/kg) twice a week over a period of 2 wk. The third group received the same dose of ADR plus L-carnitine (200 mg/kg). The fourth group was injected with L-carnitine only. Serum lipids (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol) and fatty acid levels were determined on the first, eighth, and 15th d after injection of ADR. ADR caused an increase of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol compared with the control group. HDL cholesterol was similar between two groups. Similarly, total fatty acids, especially C16-C18 fatty acids, were significantly elevated after injection of ADR. Striking reduction in these substances was observed when L-carnitine was added (p < 0.05). This study is the first report regarding the reversal effect of L-carnitine in connection with FFA profiles (C6-C18) in the serum of ADR-induced cardiomyopathic rats. This study also supports the view that ADR causes cardiomyopathy because it interferes with fatty acid metabolism, and we hypothesize that there is a possible protective effect of L-carnitine.