L-Carnitine, L-3-hydroxy-4-N,N,N-trimethylaminobutyrate, is a highly polar, water soluble, small quaternary amine, which plays a crucial role in fat metabolism by transport of long chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for utilization in metabolism through b-oxidation. In recent years increasing attention has been given to the antioxidative abilities of L-carnitine. It has been shown that L-carnitine prevents against oxygen radicals formation and has ability to scavenge free radicals, generated i.a. in ethanol intoxication. Therefore the changes in antioxidant parameters were also observed, oxidative stress origination during ethanol intoxication is likely to may take place.

The present study has been designed to investigate the efficacy of L-carnitine as an effective antioxidant on the liver antioxidant potential of rats chronically intoxicated with ethanol. Male Wistar rats (2-month-old) received granular standard diet and water (control and ethanol group) or L-carnitine solution (1,5 g/l) instead of water (L-carnitine and ethanol+L-carnitine group) for 4 weeks. Ethanol was given intragastrically (ethanol and ethanol+L-carnitine group) with 1.8 ml of ethanol in doses from 2.0 to 6.0 g/kg b.w. every day for 4 weeks. After this time rats were killed and livers were removed. In liver homogenates the following parameters were examined: the activity of antioxidant enzymes – superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and the level of nonenzymatic antioxidants: lipophylic – alpha–tocopherol and hydrophilic - reduced glutathione (GSH). Chronic ethanol intoxication caused the decrease in the liver activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and in the level of alpha–tocopherol and GSH. Administration of L-carnitine to ethanol intoxicated rats prevents against decrease in antioxidant enzymes activities in the liver (statistically significant increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) and against decrease in the level of nonenzymatic antioxidants (statistically significant increase in the level of GSH and alpha–tocopherol by about 10% and 20% respectively in comparison to ethanol group). These results give evidence for the effectiveness of L-carnitine in the prevention against ethanol-induced oxidative stress. Therefore this natural antioxidant may be applied in therapeutically action.

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