Affiliations: Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain
Note: [] To whom correspondence should be addressed: Dra. María del Prado Míguez, Unit of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, 10071 Cáceres, Spain. Tel.: 34 27 257157; Fax: 34 27 257110.
Abstract: The effects of L‐carnitine on toxicity induced by paraquat (PQ) in mice were investigated. L‐carnitine pretreatment surprisingly promoted the toxicity of PQ in a dose‐dependent manner shortening the survival time. The maximum effect occurred when L‐carnitine, at a dose of 16 mmol/kg, was intraperitoneally administered 30 min before an intraperitoneal injection of PQ (75 mg/kg). Lipid peroxidation in lung significantly increased 6 h after PQ administration. L‐carnitine accelerated this effect since L‐carnitine‐pretreated mice already showed a significant increase of lung malondialdehyde 1 h after PQ administration. In liver, PQ administration did not produce lipid peroxidation; nevertheless L‐carnitine‐pretreated mice showed a significant increase of malondialdehyde 6 h after PQ administration. Lung and liver glutathione decreased in mice receiving only PQ but this effect was not significantly changed by L‐carnitine pretreatment. These results indicate that L‐carnitine accelerates PQ‐induced mortality rate by facilitating lipid peroxidation.
Keywords: In vivo paraquat toxicity, L‐carnitine, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, GSH, lung, liver
Journal: Biofactors, vol. 8, no. 1-2, pp. 73-78, 1998
