Favorable effect of L-carnitine supplementation on glycoprotein status in aged rats

The effect of L-carnitine on glycoprotein status was studied in serum, liver, kidney, heart, and brain of young and aged rats. The levels of protein, hexose, hexosamine, sialic acid, and fucose were low in aged rats. L-Carnitine was administered intraperitoneally (300 mg/kg body weight/day) for 7, 14, and 21 days. Supplementation of aged rats with L-carnitine demonstrated a time-dependent normalization of glycoprotein status. There was no such significant variation upon carnitine administration to young rats. From our observations we conclude that carnitine is effective in normalizing the age-associated alterations in glycoproteins and can be used in aged rats in order to minimize the age-associated disorders in which free radicals are the major cause.