STIMULATION OF CHOLINE ACETYL TRANSFERASE-ACTIVITY BY L-CARNITINE ANDD-CARNITINE IN BRAIN-AREAS OF NEONATE RATS

Acetyl-CoA supply to the cytosol and its regulatory influence on acety lcholine biosynthesis is still an unsolved question, Acetylcarnitine t hrough the carnitine acetyl transferase (CarAT) system has been propos ed to be the acetyl donor in this process, Carnitine isomers were inje cted into rat developing brains every day for 14 days after birth. Res ults showed that carnitine and its associated forms produced a choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) activity increase in the striatum and the h ippocampus. Carnitine acetyl transferase activity was stimulated by th e treatment of l-carnitine in the hippocampus but it remained unchange d in the striatum and the cerebral cortex. These results suggest that ChAT and CarAT activities might be modulated by Acetyl-CoA derived pre ferentially from acetylcarnitine. It is suggested that ChAT activity e nhancement depends on intrinsic and extrinsic cholinergic afferents to these brain areas. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.