Novel action of carnitine: inhibition of aggregation of dispersed cells elicited by clusterin in vitro.

A novel effect of carnitine and O-acylcarnitine derivatives has been described. The presence of these compounds has been shown to inhibit the aggregation of erythrocytes otherwise elicited by the addition of clusterin or fetuin. The specificity of carnitine action has been investigated by comparing influences of chemically related compounds. The concentrations required for inhibition by approximately 50% of aggregation of erythrocytes by clusterin under in vitro conditions defined were determined to be 1.5 mM for L(-) or D(+) enantiomers of carnitine; 0.5 mM for decanoyl(-)- or (+)-carnitine; 0.13 mM for lauroyl(-)- or (+)-carnitine, and 0.05 mM for myristoyl(-)- or (+)-carnitine. In contrast, concentrations up to 12.5 mM of dimethylcarnitine, deoxycarnitine, acetylcholine, acetyl-beta-methylcholine, or inositol had no detectable inhibitory effect on aggregation elicited by clusterin. Clusterin addition also resulted in the aggregation of three other cell types examined (guinea pig spermatozoa, a cell line derived from testes of neonatal mice called TM4 cells, and Sertoli cells from testes of 20 day-old rats). As in the case with erythrocytes, the presence of carnitine inhibited aggregation of spermatozoa, TM4 cells, and Sertoli cells in suspension. We consider possible mechanisms by which carnitine inhibits aggregation of erythrocytes and other populations of dispersed cells incubated in the presence of clusterin.