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Carnitine Metabolism in Lean and Obese Zucker Rats during Starvation^1,2,

Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, Case Western Reserve University and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106

Carnitine metabolism during starvation was studied in adult lean and obese female Zucker rats. Comparisons were made between rats starved for 0, 3, 6 or 9 d. Total plasma carnitine was not affected by obesity or starvation, but free plasma carnitine decreased with starvation. Plasma acid-soluble acylcarnitine was lower in obese than in lean rats, and increased with starvation in both lean and obese rats. Plasma acid-insoluble acylcarnitine was not affected by obesity but increased with starvation. Liver free and acid-soluble acylcarnitine were lower in obese rats than lean rats, and starvation increased liver free carnitine and acid-insoluble acylcarnitine. Free carnitine was lower in muscle from obese rats than from lean rats. In kidney, free carnitine decreased during starvation. Heart carnitine was not affected by obesity or starvation. Urinary free carnitine and acid-soluble acylcarnitine clearance decreased during starvation. These studies indicate that: 1) lean and obese Zucker rats conserve carnitine during starvation; and 2) the decreases in liver carnitine concentration reflect the loss of cellular constituents rather than increases in total hepatic carnitine.

KEY WORDS: • starvation • carnitine • Zucker rats

¹ This work was supported in part by the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration, NIH AM 15804 and the American Heart Association, Northeast Ohio Chapter.

² A preliminary report of these data was presented at the annual meeting of the North American Society for the Study of Obesity, Seattle, Washington, Sept. 6–7, 1984.

³ Present address: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164.

⁴ Present address: Nutrition Laboratory, Butterworth Hospital, 100 Michigan Ave., Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

⁵ Correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed to C. L. Hoppel, Research 151, VA Medical Center, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44106.

Manuscript received 22 April 1985. Revision accepted 26 November 1985.