NEUROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF ACETYL-L-CARNITINE - STUDIES IN-VITRO

The neuroprotective properties of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) were inve stigated in primary cell cultures from rat hippocampal formation and c erebral cortex of 17-day-old rat embryos. Chronic exposure to ALCAR (1 0-50 mu M for 10 days) reduced the cell mortality induced by 24 hr fet al calf serum deprivation. Protection was partial when the neuronal ce lls, chronically treated with ALCAR (50 mu M), were exposed to glutama te (0.25-1 mM) and kainic acid (250-500 mu M) for 24 hr. The neurotoxi city induced by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA, 250 mu M) was attenuated b y the acute co-exposure with ALCAR (1 mM), the chronic treatment with ALCAR (50 mu M) significantly reduced the neuronal death induced by NM DA (0.25-1 mM). Cell mortality was also investigated in ALCAR-treated hippocampal cultures chronically treated with beta-amyloid fragment 25 -35. ALCAR appeared to have neuroprotective activity. This suggests an explanation of the positive results obtained with ALCAR in the treatm ent of Alzheimer's disease. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.