Cardiovascular and antiarrhythmic effects of carnitine.

Thresholds for electrically induced atrial fibrillation were measured in response to IV carnitine. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and mean aortic flow rate were also monitored. Carnitine 100 mg/kg resulted in an increase in mean aortic blood flow. The antiarrhythmic effect was much less than with 5 mg/kg quinidine, but after atropinization, 100 mg/kg carnitine was similar in antiarrhythmic effect to quinidine and did not result in the blood pressure depression seen with quinidine.