Evidence for the Involvement of Carnitine‐Dependent Long‐Chain Acyltransferases in Neuronal Triglyceride and Phospholipid Fatty Acid Turnover

Abstract

This study focuses on the potential involvement of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) on the phospholipid and triglyceride fatty acid turnover in neurons. This category of enzymes, which has been identified in several rat brain tissues, is well known for its role in modulating cellular fatty acid oxidation. Neuronal cell cultures from rat brain cortex incorporated radioactive palmitate or oleate into phospholipids and triglycerides. The largest fraction of radioactive fatty acids was recovered in phosphatidylcholine followed by triglycerides and, to a lesser extent, phosphatidylethanolamine. CPT activity measured in neuronal lysates obtained from neurons treated with 40 pM 2-tetradecylglycidic acid (TDGA) was almost completely abolished. Furthermore, between 2 and 10 pM TDGA CPT

Mitochondria and cardioprotection

“…In this respect the role of carnitine and CPT is two fold: provide acyl-units at no ATP-cost and buffer the harmful decrease in cellular CoASH levels [146]. Supporting this concept, CPT inhibition has been shown to result in a marked depression of the reacylating capability in both human erythrocytes and neuronal cells [147,148].…”

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Multi-Site, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial

“…It acts as a carrier in the transport of long chain fatty acids across the inner mitochondrial membrane for ␤-oxidation in all tissues; in skeletal and cardiac muscle, ␤-oxidation supplies the major fuel (Brass 1992;Bremer 1983). L-carnitine not only binds fatty acids for their mitochondrial oxidation, but also plays a role in removing potentially toxic metabolic intermediates, such as carboxylic acids (Brass 1992(Brass ,1994Chalmers et al 1983;De Sousa et al 1986;Roe et al 1984). Carnitine is present in high concentrations in all tissues as either free carnitine or as acylcarnitines, which include acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC), its most abundant short chain ester (Goa and Brogden 1987).…”

Acetyl-L-Carnitine as an Adjunctive Therapy in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Placebo-Controlled Trial

“…The effect of diet and nutrition on ADHD is an issue that merits greater recognition by practitioners in the field [2]. It has been reported that the concentration of fatty acids, which are important for brain maturation and functioning, are decreased in plasma of ADHD patients [7,20]. Some investigators consider ADHD and its comorbidity, as a disorder of fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism [5,21].…”