Abstract
Fatty acids accumulate in the muscle cells in some carnitine deficiency syndromes due to a variety of genetic defects in intermediary metabolism. L-Carnitine administration may relieve this excess by transporting acyl compounds out of the cell as acylcarnitine. Similar fatty acid accumulation occurs during myocardial ischae-mia because of the decreased rate of fi-oxidation, and this has been put forward as a cause of ventricular arrhythmias. This study was carried out to investigate whether administration of high doses of i.v. L-carnitine in patients with acute myocardial infarction could increase urinary excretion of acylcarnitine and reduce early ventricular arrhythmias.
Fifty-six patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction, admitted to the Coronary Unit between 3 and 12 h after the onset of symptoms, were included in the study.