Neuroprotective effects of acetyl-L-carnitine againstischemia-reperfusion injury: a spin resonance study

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592304
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Anesthesiology/Resuscitation studies
• Research Institution: Oita University
• Principal Investigator: TOKUMARU Osamu 大分大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40360151)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KITANO Takaaki 大分大学, 医学部, 教授 (20211196) ; YOKOI Isao 大分大学, 医学部, 教授 (80150366) ; KOGA Hironori 大分大学, 医学部, 助教 (50468013)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: アセチル-L-カルニチン / 脳保護 / 核磁気共鳴法 / 電子スピン共鳴法 / フリーラジカル / 抗酸化能 / ラジカル消去能 / 高エネルギーリン酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neuroprotective effect of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) on rat brain slices after ischemia/reperfusion injury was investigated by 31P-NMR and ESR spectroscopy. Energetically, ALCAR was neuroprotective in normal brain slices. ALCAR demonstrated antioxidative activity against some free radical species, but it also showed rather prooxidative activity against others at higher concentrations. Those findings suggest that ALCAR acts as energy substrate and antioxidant in protecting brain tissue from ischemia/reperfusion injury, but may act as prooxidant at higher concentration.

Free Research Field

生理学