Carnitine concentration during the development of human tissues

Abstract

The different carnitine storage patterns in developing human tissues (skeletal muscle, liver and brain) were demonstrated. The carnitine concentration was high in the skeletal muscle and liver relative to other tissues during preterm gestation, and the skeletal muscle carnitine concentration increased with growth. On the other hand, the brain carnitine concentration was low. The brain contained a larger proportion of acylcarnitine than of free carnitine from midgestation, while the skeletal muscle and liver contained larger concentrations of free carnitine than of acylcarnitine. These different carnitine concentrations and composition patterns in the skeletal muscle, liver and brain may be related to maturation of the potential carnitine reserve and to metabolic functions, such as fatty acid utilization and the reservoir of acetyl units, in each developmental tissue.