Abstract
Background and objectivePropionyl‐L‐carnitine (PLC) has been shown to have an anaplerotic effect in rat heart. The goal of the present study was to test if PLC attenuates the age‐associated decreased myocardial carnitine content and improves mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation.Approach and methodsTo achieve our objective we isolated subsarcolemmal (SSM) and interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM) from hearts of 24 month old elderly Fisher 344 rats injected intraperitoneally with PLC or saline. We determined (a) the myocardial carnitine and acylcarnitine contents; (b) the oxidative capacity of isolated mitochondria with non‐lipid and lipid substrates; and (c) the activity of electron transport chain complexes.Results(a) Exogenous PLC is readily taken up and metabolized by the heart as indicated by the increased carnitine and acetylcarnitine content. (b) PLC has no effect on oxidative phosphorylation as assessed by unaltered oxygen consumption with isolated mitochondria. (c) PLC significantly increased the cytochrome oxidase (COX) activity in both mitochondrial populations as reflected by the increased first order rate constant.ConclusionThe data demonstrate that exogenous PLC corrects the age‐associated loss of myocardial carnitine and selectively and significantly increases COX activity.Supported in part by POI AG15885 and a gift from RostaQuo S.p.A..
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