Trophic action of acetyl-L-carnitine in neuronal cultures.

Daily addition of acetyl-L-carnitine (100 microM) to cultured cerebellar granule cells since the first day of maturation led to an increased rate of expression of D-[3H]aspartate uptake (an established marker of maturation of glutamatergic neurons) and of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors linked to large conductance ion channels permeable to Ca2+. Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment also increased neuronal survival, as reflected by a greater percentage of cultures retaining functional NMDA receptors after 15 days of maturation. These results support the view that acetyl-L-carnitine exerts neuronotrophic activity and prevents age-dependent neuronal degeneration.