The Carnitine System, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1995 A New Therapeutical Approach to Cardiovascular Diseases Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine Series, Vol. 162

In the last few years, derivatives of L-carnitine, such as acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine, have been made available to doctors for treatment of specific pathologies. The effects of this family of related carnitine compounds on cardiovascular systems and diseases constitute the major issue addressed in this volume.
Although several books on carnitine have been published, a treatise focusing on experimental and clinical aspects of the carnitine family and cardiovascular diseases was lacking. The present book provides the reader with a concise update in this field. The information collected from experts on various aspects of the fascinating compound, carnitine, will be useful for both clinicians and basic scientists.

1. Introduction.- One: The carnitine system in the heart: molecular aspects.- 2. Carnitine-dependent pathways in heart muscle.- 3. Carnitine and carnitine esters in mitochondrial metabolism and function.- 4. The effects of carnitine on myocardial carbohydrate metabolism.- 5. Accumulation of fatty acids and their carnitine derivatives during myocardial ischemia.- 6. Carnitine acylcarnitine translocase in ischemia.- 7. Amphiphilic interactions of long-chain fatty acylcarnitines with membranes: potential involvement in ischemic injury.- 8. Mitochondrial injury in the ischemic-reoxygenated cardiomyocyte: the role of lipids and other pathogenic factors.- 9. Free radical-mediated damage and carnitine esters.- 10. Carnitine transport in volume-overloaded rat hearts.- 11. Myocardial carnitine deficiency in human cardiomyopathy.- Two: Therapeutic efficacy of L-carnitine at the myocardial level.- 12. Is the carnitine system part of the heart antioxidant network?.- 13. Experimental evidence of the anti-ischemic effect of L-carnitine.- 14. Carnitine metabolism during diabetes and hyperthyroidy.- 15. Carnitine and lactate metabolism.- 16. Therapeutic potential of L-carnitine in patients with angina pectoris.- 17. Carnitine and myocardial infarction.- Three: Therapeutic efficacy of propionyl-L-carnitine.- 18. Cardiac electrophysiology of propionyl-L-carnitine.- 19. Acute vs. chronic treatment with propionyl-L-carnitine: biochemical, hemodynamic and electrophysiological effects on rabbit heart.- 20. Mechanical recovery with propionyl-L-carnitine.- 21. Dissociation of hemodynamic and metabolic effects of propionyl-L-carnitine in ischemic pig heart.- 22. Effect of propionyl-L-carnitine on rats with experimentally induced cardiomyopathies.- 23. Utilization of propionyl-L-carnitine for the treatment of heart failure.- 24. Hemodynamic and metabolic effect of propionyl-L-carnitine in patients with heart failure.- 25. Carnitine metabolism in peripheral arterial disease.- 26. Effect of propionyl-L-carnitine on experimental models of peripheral arteriopathy in the rat.- 27. Effect of L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine on cardiovascular diseases: a summary.