The Effects of Supplementary Carnitine on Ethanol Metabolism

Male Sprague-Dawley rats of 200-250g were assigned to ad libitum feeding of ground Purina Rat Chow as such or supplemented with 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0% (W/W) carnitine for 1-6 days. In the first experiment, a control versus a 1% carnitine supplemented group was studied for 6 days, and in the second experiment, a control versus 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0% carnitine supplemented groups were investigated for 5 days. A dose of ethanol, (3 g/kg body weight), was administered via a gastric gavage to all animals and blood-ethanol levels were monitored in the tail blood at 2, 5, and 8 hours postethanol administration. In the second experiment blood-carnitine levels were also followed at 1, 3, and 5 days of supplemental feeding. Results of both experiments show that at all levels carnitine supplemented animals had higher blood-ethanol concentrations than those not supplemented with carnitine. The levels of carnitine supplementation were highly correlated with blood-ethanol concentrations as well as with blood-carnitine levels. While 1% and 0.5% or 0.75% supplementation resulted in steady state levels of carnitine in the blood at 3 and 5 days, respectively, 0.25% supplementation caused a linear increase in blood-carnitine levels at least up to 5 days. An estimation of blood-ethanol levels at or near zero time postethanol administration was made by extrapolating the lines used for calculating the rate of disappearance of ethanol. This showed that the ethanol concentration in the blood of carnitine treated animals was significantly higher than that present in the controls at or near zero time, suggesting that carnitine may be increasing the rate of ethanol absorption rather than inhibiting the rate of disappearance from the blood