Interaction Between Acute Exercise and Carnitine Supplementation on the Expression of Genes Involved in Liver Metabolism in Male Rats

Abstract

Acute exercise induces rapid and dramatic induction of transcription in the liver. The beneficial effects of carnitine on serum factors and gene expression have been proven. This study examined the interaction between acute exercise and carnitine supplementation on the expression of genes involved in liver metabolism. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into 4 groups (n = 8): Group 1 control, Group 2 received 200 mg/kg/day LCAR, Group 3 performed acute exercise, and Group 4 received LCAR and performed acute exercise. Gene expression in the liver was evaluated by Real-time PCR. Acute exercise significantly increased PDK4 expression compared to other groups. Also, carnitine administration, performing an acute exercise, and combination of LCAR-Acute significantly increased AMPK and PGC-1a expression compared with the control group. The expression of SREBP-1c and SCD1 was not significantly changed between studies. The combination of acute exercise and carnitine administration increased PGC-1a expression, indicating the importance of carnitine with exercise as a beneficial supplement.