Pharmacokinetics of carnitine and acylcarnitines in end stage renal disease patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis [ 2005 - 2007 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Allan Evans (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Randall Faull

Brief description The kidneys play a crucial role in removing toxic compounds from the bloodstream and regulating processes that are critical for human survival. One of the most important of these regulatory roles is to ensure that the body has an adequate store of L-carnitine and other vital compounds. L-carnitine allows the body to utilise fatty acids from our diet, permitting normal functioning of the body's skeletal and heart muscle. Patients with serious L-carnitine deficiency suffer from severe muscular dysfunction and heart disease unless they receive L-carnitine replacement. Patients with severe kidney disease often have to undergo cleansing of their blood through hemodialysis. This process substitutes for many of the roles of the normal kidney but is not capable of fulfilling certain regulatory (control) functions. Studies by our group have proven that after 1 year of hemodialysis therapy, the blood and muscle levels of L-carnitine are much lower than normal. We have also shown that there is an increase in the blood levels of abnormal forms of carnitine that might contribute to the established problems (eg heart disease) encountered when people receive hemodialysis treatment for long periods. Supplementation of L-carnitine in long-term hemodialysis patients is gaining increasing acceptance, particularly in the United States where it is approved nationally for the treatment of dialysis-related carnitine deficiency. The studies proposed in this application will greatly broaden our understanding of L-carnitine behaviour in hemodialysis patients and lead to more appropriate guidance regarding the ways these patients will be medically managed. In particular, we will examine the impact of oral L-carnitine administration on the blood levels of the abnormal L-carnitines. The studies will also investigate whether oral L-carnitine administration leads to accumulation of potentially hazardous substances.

Funding Amount $AUD 257,000.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant