Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function in insulin- or carnitine-treated diabetic rats

Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function and SR levels of long-chain (LC) acylcarnitines were determined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with insulin or D,L-carnitine. ATP-dependent calcium transport was significantly depressed in cardiac SR isolated from untreated diabetic rats compared with control rats. Diabetic rat cardiac SR levels of LC acylcarnitines were also significantly elevated. Various parameters of heart function (left ventricular developed pressure, +dP/dT, and -dP/dT), as determined on an isolated working heart apparatus, were found to be depressed in untreated diabetic rats. Cardiac SR isolated from diabetic rats treated throughout the study period with insulin or D,L-carnitine did not have elevated levels of LC acylcarnitines associated with SR membrane nor was SR calcium transport activity depressed. Heart function in the diabetic rats treated with insulin was similar to control rat hearts but heart function remained depressed in diabetic rats treated with D,L-carnitine. The data suggest that the LC acylcarnitines are involved in the observed impairment of cardiac SR function in diabetic rats. Other factors, however, must be contributing to the depression in heart function noted in these animals.