Carnitine metabolism in the fasting rat.

Abstract

Carnitinemetabolism was studied in the fasting rat.Carnitine and its acyl derivatives were measured in plasma, liver, skeletal muscle, heart, and urine and in total body extracts at time intervals throughout the fast.Plasma total carnitine (carnitine plus acylcarnitines) decreased during thefirst 24 h of starvation (40.1 PM at 24 h uersus 53.0 pM at 0 h) and then increased, reaching levels higher than control (SO.2 PM at 144 h) due to an increase in acid-soluble acylcarnitines.The decrease during the first 24 h was accounted for by a decrease in carnitine which fell from 31.7 PM to 13.6 PM.