HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (Publish Ahead of Print[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: 89/1/71    most recent ajcn.2008.26251v1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Malaguarnera, M. Articles by Motta, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Malaguarnera, M. Articles by Motta, M. Agricola Articles by Malaguarnera, M. Articles by Motta, M.

L-Carnitine supplementation reduces oxidized LDL cholesterol in patients with diabetes^1,2,3

¹ From the Department of Senescence, Urological and Neurological Sciences (MM, MV, MM, LC, and MM), and the Department of Ophthalmology (TA), University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

² Supported by a grant from the Ministero dell'Università e Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica.

³ Reprints not available. Address correspondence to M Malaguarnera, Department of Senescence, Urological and Neurological Sciences, University of Catania, Ospedale Cannizzaro, Viale Messina, 829, 95125 Catania, Italy. E-mail: malaguar{at}unict.it.

ABSTRACT

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes are under high oxidative stress, and levels of hyperglycemia correlate strongly with levels of LDL oxidation. Carnitine favorably modulates oxidative stress.

Objective: This objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of L-carnitine on the reduction of oxidized LDL cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design: Eighty-one patients with diabetes were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups for 3 mo. The 2 groups received either 2 g L-carnitine once daily (n = 41) or placebo (n = 40). The following variables were assessed at baseline, after washout, and at 1, 2, and 3 mo of treatment: body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B-100, oxidized LDL cholesterol, thiobarbituric acid–reactive substances, and conjugated dienes.

Results: At the end of the study period, the L-carnitine-treated patients showed significant improvements compared with the placebo group in the following markers: oxidized LDL levels decreased by 15.1 compared with 3.0 U/L (P < 0.001); LDL cholesterol decreased by 0.45 compared with 0.16 mmol/L (P < 0.05); triglycerides decreased by 1.02 compared with 0.09 mmol/L (P < 0.001); apolipoprotein A1 concentrations decreased by 0.12 compared with 0.03 mg/dL (P < 0.05); apolipoprotein B-100 concentrations decreased by 0.13 compared with 0.04 mg/dL (P < 0.05); thiobarbituric acid–reactive substance concentrations decreased by 1.92 compared with 0.05 (P < 0.001), and conjugated diene concentrations decreased by 0.72 compared with 0.11 in the placebo group (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Our study indicates that oral administration of L-carnitine reduces oxidized LDL cholesterol levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Received for publication April 4, 2008. Accepted for publication September 26, 2008.