QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sachan, D. S. Articles by Ruark, R. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sachan, D. S. Articles by Ruark, R. A.

Distribution of Carnitine and Acylcarnitine in Small Intestine of Carnitine-Supplemented and Fasted Rats^1,2,

Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, College of Home Economics and Agricultural Experiment Station, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1900

Distribution of carnitine and acylcarnitine in lumen flush and tissue of the small intestine was examined in four groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats fed either a nonpurified diet (groups 1, 2) or the same supplemented with 1% DL-carnitine (groups 3, 4). One group of animals under each dietary regimen (groups 2, 4) was fasted for 24 h prior to killing. Carnitine and acylcarnitines were present in higher concentrations in tissue of the small intestine than in the lumen flush. Even though the diets contained only traces of acid-soluble acylcarnitine, it was present in high concentrations both in tissue of the small intestine and lumen flush. Proximal segments of small intestine tended to concentrate carnitine and acylcarnitines under all conditions of treatment. Carnitine supplementation increased the amounts of carnitines in tissue; however, there was only a minor alteration in the pattern of distribution of carnitine and acylcarnitines.

KEY WORDS: • carnitine • small intestine • absorption • fasting • acylcarnitine • carnitine supplement

¹ Supported by grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture—Competitive Research Grants Office.

² A portion of the data was presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meetings, 1984, in St. Louis, MO. Fed. Proc. 43, 616 (abs. 1939).

Manuscript received 26 August 1984. Revision accepted 28 March 1985.