Evaluation of brain long-chain acylcarnitines during cerebral ischemia

Concentration and distribution of long-chain acylcarnitines in control microwaved and ischemic (decapitated) rat brain were measured by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The total acylcarnitine concentration from control rat brains equaled 7-8 nmol/g wet weight brain, about one-fourth the total concentration of long-chain acyl-CoA, indicating a small role in buffering the total acyl-CoA pool concentration. Furthermore, acylcarnitine did not differ between ischemic and control rat brain with regard to total concentration or concentrations of molecular species of acylcarnitine. Therefore, the size of the acylcarnitine pool in brain is not affected by the dramatic increase in unesterified fatty acids (approximately 4x) that occurs in ischemia.