Suppression of aflatoxin B1-induced lipid abnormalities and macromolecule-adduct formation by L-carnitine

The fatty liver and hypolipidemia caused by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed Purina Rat Chow with or without L-carnitine supplement for 6 weeks. In Experiment 1, the rats (n = 20) were divided into four groups, i.e., nonsupplemented control (NSC), nonsupplemented AFB1 (NSA), carnitine supplemented control (CSC), and carnitine supplemented AFB1 (CSA). The NSA and CSA groups were given an oral dose of [3H]AFB1 (1 mg/kg) 6 hr before kill. In Experiment 2 (n = 10) there were only NSA and CSA groups and they were killed 24 hr post-AFB1 administration. Hepatic and plasma concentrations of total lipid, triglycerides, AFB1-macromolecules adducts and urinary excretion of AFB1 were determined. Carnitine supplementation ameliorated AFB1-induced hepatic steatosis and hypolipidemia. Supplementary carnitine reduced covalent binding of AFB1 to hepatic DNA, RNA, and protein. The carnitine effect was more pronounced after 24 hr than after 6 hr of AFB1 treatment. We conclude that supplementary carnitine suppressed AFB1-induced fatty liver and AFB1-macromolecule adduct formation in the rat.