Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009;6(1-4):e31-e39.
doi: 10.1016/j.ddmec.2009.02.001.

CARNITINE HOMEOSTASIS, MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Affiliations

CARNITINE HOMEOSTASIS, MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Shruti Sharma et al. Drug Discov Today Dis Mech. 2009.

Abstract

Carnitines are involved in mitochondrial transport of fatty acids and are of critical importance for maintaining normal mitochondrial function. This review summarizes recent experimental and clinical studies showing that mitochondrial dysfunction secondary to a disruption of carnitine homeostasis may play a role in decreased NO signaling and the development of endothelial dysfunction. Future challenges include development of agents that can positively modulate L-carnitine homeostasis which may have high therapeutic potential.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of L-carnitine and Acetyl L-carnitine (Panel A) and the Carnitine Biosynthetic Pathway (Panel B). Abbreviations: TML, trimethyl-lysine; TMLD, trimethyl-lysine deoxygenase; HTML, 3-hydroxy-trimethyl-lysine; TMABA, 4-trimethylaminobutyraldehyde; TMABA-DH, 4-timethylaminobutanal dehydrogenase, BBD, butyrobetaine dioxygenase.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of L-carnitine and Acetyl L-carnitine (Panel A) and the Carnitine Biosynthetic Pathway (Panel B). Abbreviations: TML, trimethyl-lysine; TMLD, trimethyl-lysine deoxygenase; HTML, 3-hydroxy-trimethyl-lysine; TMABA, 4-trimethylaminobutyraldehyde; TMABA-DH, 4-timethylaminobutanal dehydrogenase, BBD, butyrobetaine dioxygenase.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The Carnitine Shuttle and role of carnitine in the mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. Abbreviations: CPT-I, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1; CPT-II, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-2; CACT, carnitine acylcarnitine translocase; CrAT, carnitine acetyl transferase; OMM, outer mitochondrial membrane; IMM, inner mitochondrial membrane.

References

    1. Bremer J. Carnitine--metabolism and functions. Physiol Rev. 1983;63(4):1420–1480. - PubMed
    1. Sharma S, et al. Altered carnitine homeostasis is associated with decreased mitochondrial function and altered nitric oxide signaling in lambs with pulmonary hypertension. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2008;294(1):L46–56. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sahajwalla CG, et al. Multiple-dose pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of L-carnitine 330-mg tablet versus 1-g chewable tablet versus enteral solution in healthy adult male volunteers. J Pharm Sci. 1995;84(5):627–633. - PubMed
    1. Tamai I, et al. Molecular and functional identification of sodium ion-dependent, high affinity human carnitine transporter OCTN2. J Biol Chem. 1998;273(32):20378–20382. - PubMed
    1. Sachan DS, Hoppel CL. Carnitine biosynthesis. Hydroxylation of N6-trimethyl-lysine to 3-hydroxy-N6-trimethyl-lysine. Biochem J. 1980;188(2):529–534. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources