SHORT AND LONG TERM EFFECTS OF L-CARNITINE ON SKELETAL MUSCLE METABOLISM AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN DIALYZED PATIENTS

Disorders and deficiency of carnitine that occured in dialysed patients plays an important role in ureamic myopathy (UM). To investigate ofUM in early stage and effects of the L-carnitine on UM was aimed. 35 stable dialysis patients (17 hemadialysis, 18 continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis), agematched 44 healty persons were studied. After blood samples had drownout, Tc'J9" sesta MİBİ rest scintigraphy were performed in 20 healty and in 25 patients. L-carnitine was given 2g/day for 4 months then 20-25 mg/kg/3 days a week for following 12 months in all patients. At initial, heamoglobin, hematocrite, erythrocytes and albumin, transferrin values of the patients were found lower than those of the controls, then increased during the 16 months constantly. Plasma von Willebrand Factor and creatinine, phosphate, creatine phosphocinase in serum were found higher in patients thus, decreased at the end of the L-carnitine treatment, whereas mean flbrinogene value was unchanged. In patients group, both thight and calf Tc m MİBİ uptake were found lower than those of the controls group at initial. After first six months increased, but no change was observed in following six months. Thus, suggested that carnitine have an effect on UM independently.