Related Experiment Videos
Renal carnitine concentration decreases in endotoxic dogs
E Gullichsen1, O J Heinonen, O Nelimarkka
1Department of Surgery, University of Turku, Finland.
Background And Methods:
Renal cortical and serum carnitine concentrations were studied in seven anesthetized beagle dogs in which acute circulatory collapse was induced by an iv injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin, 0.5 mg/kg given over 15 mins. Four controls received normal saline.
Results:
The endotoxin injection resulted in cardiac depression, renal hypoperfusion, acidosis with a decrease in urinary output, and hematuria. Arterial and renal venous free carnitine concentrations increased significantly in endotoxemia during the 5-hr experiment, but remained low and unchanged in the controls. Circulating acyl-carnitine concentrations underwent no essential changes in either group. Total, free, and acyl-carnitine concentrations decreased in endotoxic renal tissue.
Conclusions:
These data suggest that endotoxemia decreases carnitine concentrations in the renal cortex, but increases free carnitine concentrations in the circulation.