[Carnosine protection of Ca2+ transport against damage induced by lipid peroxidation]

The authors studied the protective action of carnosine on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes from frog skeletal muscles destroyed by ascorbic acid-dependent lipid peroxidation (LPO). It was demonstrated that addition of carnosine to the incubation medium at a concentration of 25 mM sharply decelerated inactivation of Ca-ATPase of SR membranes, maintaining at the same time the coupling of hydrolysing and transport functions of the Ca-pump. When given at the same concentration carnosine inhibited the accumulation of LPO products reacting with 2-thiobarbituric acid. This effect of carnosine was followed by its utilization.