Blood carnitine status after orthotopic liver transplantation in patients with end-stage liver disease

Article Abstract:

Carnitine is a substance that body cells need in order to produce energy from certain types of fat. The liver synthesizes carnitine; consequently severe liver disease disrupts carnitine metabolism throughout the body. This study evaluated the carnitine levels of patients with liver disease before and after liver transplantation. Carnitine was measured in two parts of the blood, blood plasma and red blood cells. Recent research has demonstrated that carnitine distributes itself into two pools or partitions, one being plasma and the other red blood cells. The partitioning factor is simply the ratio of red cell carnitine to plasma carnitine; this ratio was assessed as well. Twenty-eight patients with end-stage (advanced) liver disease who received a liver transplant were included. Before transplantation, red cell and plasma carnitine were both significantly higher than in a normal control group and the partitioning factor was four times normal. Six months after transplantation, plasma and red cell carnitine levels had decreased toward normal but the partitioning factor favored red blood cells 2.3 times over plasma compared to 1.2 in the normal group. This suggested that excess carnitine was being stored in the red cells of patients with liver disease. The authors hypothesize that elevated blood carnitine in liver disease may result from inadequate uptake of carnitine by the liver or excessive leakage of carnitine from the liver and other tissues. Muscle contains large amounts of carnitine. These patients may release carnitine from muscle because they have protein malnutrition, which involves muscle breakdown. The authors conclude that patients with severe liver disease do not show evidence of carnitine deficiency.

Liver, Liver transplantation, Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc., Organ transplantation, Tissue transplantation, Transplantation, Carnitine

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Human plasma fatty acid variations and how they are related to dietary intake

Article Abstract:

Diets with a high fat and cholesterol content may contribute to the development of certain disorders, such as coronary heart disease, disease of the major blood vessels supplying the heart; atherosclerosis, the accumulation of lipids and cell overgrowth within the blood vessels; and certain cancers. Changes in the diet may help to decrease the development of such diseases. Because plasma (blood) fatty acids tend to reflect the dietary fat consumed, the relationship between plasma fatty acids and dietary intake was assessed. Levels of plasma phospholipids (PL), free fatty acids (FFA), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterol esters (CE) were analyzed in relation to diet at the start of the study and eight and 22 months thereafter in 12 normal subjects. Diet did not change, although FFA and CE fractions varied over time. The percentage of energy derived from fat was related to blood levels of monounsaturated plasma TG FAs in men. In addition, alcohol intake was associated with blood levels of CE. These results show that blood levels of FA can vary without a change in diet in normal persons. The food frequency questionnaire provides information about diet and can be used to reflect the FAs in the blood. Alcohol consumption and sex differences may affect fat metabolism. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Cardiovascular diseases, Risk factors, Nutrition, Diet, Fatty acids

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