Effects of l‐carnitine on the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and carnitine palmitoyl transferase activities in muscle of endurance athletes

FEBS Letters

Huertas, Rosa¹  Díaz, A.Enrique²  Villalón, José María³  Arenas, Joaquín¹  Campos, Yolanda¹  Vilas, Esther⁴ 

[1] Centro de Investigación, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Avda Córdoba Km 5.4, 28041 Madrid, Spain;Centro Nacional de Medicina del Deporte, CNIyCD, Consejo Superior de Deportes, Madrid, Spain;Serv. Médicos, Federacíon Española de Atletismo, Madrid, Spain;Medical Research Department, Sigma-Tau, Madrid, Spain

关键词: Endurance;    Carnitine palmitoyl transferase;    Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex;    Mitochondria;   

DOI  :  10.1016/0014-5793(94)80246-7

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

The effects of l-carnitine on the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex and carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT) were studied in muscle of 16 long-distance runners (LDR). These subjects received placebo or l-carnitine (2 g orally) during a 4-week period of training. Athletes receiving l-carnitine showed a dramatic increase (P < 0.001) in the PDH complex activities. By contrast, the levels of CPT, both 1 and 2, were unchanged. No significant changes were observed after placebo administration. We previously reported [Huertas R. et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 188 (1992) 102-107] that l-carnitine induces an increase in the activities of complexes I, III and IV of the respiratory chain in muscle of LDR. Taken together, our data suggest that the improvement in (maximal oxygen consumption) V _O2max observed in LDR after l-carnitine administration is based on these biochemical findings.

【 授权许可】

Unknown