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Carnitine: A Neuromodulator in Aged Rats

¹ Department of Geriatrics, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
² Madras Medical College, M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, India.
³ Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, India.

A wide range of morphological and biochemical changes occur in the central nervous system with increasing age. L-carnitine, a naturally occurring compound, plays a vital role in fatty acid transport across the mitochondrial membrane. L-carnitine (300 mg/kg body wt/day) was administered intraperitoneally to young and old male Wistar rats for 7, 14, and 21 days. Carnitine, dopamine, epinephrine, and serotonin levels were assayed in discrete regions of the brain. Carnitine supplementation increased the levels of dopamine, epinephrine, and serotonin in the experimental animals in our study. Response to carnitine supplementation varied among the brain regions that have been studied. The regions rich in cholinergic neurons such as the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum showed more response after 21 days of carnitine treatment. The results of the present study suggest the role of L-carnitine as a neuromodulator and antiaging medication.