PLASMA CARNITINE LEVELS AND THE EFFECT OF CARNITINE TREATMENT ON LIPID PROFILE IN HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS

L-Carnitine is an amino acid derivative which takes part in the transfer of long-chain fatty acids from cytosol to mitochondrial matrix through the inner mitochondrial membrane. Plasma and tissue carnitine levels of patients hemodialysed for end-stage renal failure are lower than those of healthy subjects. It is proposed that carnitine supplementation may improve dyslipidemias frequently seen in this patient group. In this trial the effect of L-Carnitine supplementation 1 gram/day orally for 16 weeks on plasma free carnitine, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-l and apolipoprotein B-100 levels of 17 chronic hemodialysis patients (10 female, 7 male) was studied. A significant rise in plasma free carnitine and significant fall in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B-100 levels were observed. Triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-l 00 levels did not change significantly. These results indicate that L-Carnitine supplementation may have a part, along with other treatment modalities, in the therapy of dyslipidemia, a major independent risk factor for coronary artery disease, in hemodialysis patients for whom coronary heart disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality.