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Ann Thorac Surg 2001;71:648-653
© 2001 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Original article: cardiovascular

Carnitine affects fatty acid metabolism after cardioplegic arrest in neonatal rabbit hearts

^a Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, The Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

Accepted for publication August 21, 2000.

Address reprint requests to Dr Nemoto, Department of Medicine-Cardiology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Laboratories of Cardiac Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Bldg 110, Rm 243, Houston, TX 77030
e-mail: snemoto{at}bcm.tmc.edu

Background. Fatty acid (FA) metabolism and the contribution of carnitine to metabolism after cardioplegic arrest still remain unclear, especially in the neonatal heart where ß-oxidation is not a predominant source of adenosine triphosphate.

Methods. FA metabolism and the effects of carnitine administration were evaluated using a newborn (7-day-old) rabbit blood-perfused Langendorff model subjected to cold cardioplegic arrest. The hearts were divided into five groups; (1) perfused with unmodified diluted blood (n = 9), (2) subjected to 180 minutes of cold cardioplegic arrest and reperfused with the blood (n = 9), (3) subjected to the same ischemia and reperfused with the blood containing 40 µM/L (n = 9), (4) 0.5 mM/L (n = 5), and (5) 5 mM/L of carnitine (n = 5). During reperfusion, FA metabolism was assessed by iodine-123-labeled 15-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(R,S)-methylpentadecanoic acid, a fatty acid. The myocardial time-radioactivity curve was then determined and a mathematical compartment analysis of the external detection was used to elucidate FA metabolism in the cardiac myocyte.

Results. Cold cardioplegic arrest resulted in significantly impaired FA metabolism following reperfusion. Compartment analysis suggested that FA activation in the cytosol and ß-oxidation were impaired. Carnitine supplementation in groups 3 and 4 improved FA metabolism during reperfusion. In contrast, supplementation in group 5 had no beneficial effect on FA metabolism.

Conclusions. These results suggest that FA metabolism is impaired after cold cardioplegic arrest and that carnitine supplementation may improve aerobic metabolism in neonates after open heart surgery.

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