Carnitine and vitamin E found to protect against myocardial infarction

A study published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines has found that combining vitamin E with carnitine can protect against myocardial infarction, more commonly known as heart attack. The study found that the combination works by suppressing inflammatory mediators and enhancing antioxidant activity.

• The study was carried out by researchers from King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia who examined the role of carnitine, in combination with vitamin E, in preventing isoproterenol-induced heart attacks in rats.
• Fifty rats were divided into five groups:
  • Groups I and II served as the control groups,
  • Group III received vitamin E daily,
  • Group IV received carnitine every day, and
  • Group V received both vitamin E and carnitine every day.
• On the seventh, eighth, and ninth day of treatment, groups II to V received isoproterenol, which has a toxic effect on the heart.
• The treatment period lasted for 21 days.
• The administration of isoproterenol increased malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels and the levels of cardiac inflammatory markers interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor.
• It also decreased cardiac antioxidant activities.
• However, with the treatment of carnitine and vitamin E, these effects were reversed.
• Additionally, vitamin E combined with carnitine substantially increased coronary flow and caused significant improvements in the recovery of rate pressure product (RPP) and left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) in rats injected with isoproterenol.
• Pre-treatment with vitamin E or carnitine significantly reduced malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels and increased antioxidant activities in the heart, although the combined treatment caused more significant changes.

Overall, these findings suggest that the supplementation of both vitamin E and carnitine may play a role in the prevention of a heart attack.

To read more studies on the prevention of heart attack, visit HeartDisease.news.

Journal Reference:

Huwait EA, Al-Ghamdi A. PROTECTIVE ROLE OF CARNITINE SYNERGIZED WITH VITAMIN E AGAINST ISOPROTERENOL INDUCED CARDIAC INFARCTION IN RATS. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. 2017; 14(2): 25-32. DOI: 10.21010/ajtcam.v14i2.4