Effect of L-carnitine on serum paraoxonase, arylesterase and lactonase activities and oxidative status in experimental colitis

Aim: Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. We investigated antioxidant L-carnitine effect on activities of paraoxonase 1 enzyme which is also synthesized in colon and oxidative status in experimental colitis. Material and Methods: Wistar albino female rats were divided into four groups randomly: control, colitis, pre-treatment and treatment groups. To induce colitis, single dose of 1 mL acetic acid (%4) was given intrarectally to colitis, pre-treatment and treatment groups. Single dose of 500 mg/kg L-carnitine was given intraperitoneally 1 hour before inducing colitis to pre-treatment group and 24 hours after inducing colitis to treatment group. All groups were sacrificied 48 hours after intrarectally administration. Existence of colitis was confirmed by histopathological changes. Paraoxonase, arylesterase and lactonase activities, total oxidant and antioxidant status, malondialdehyde, and total sialic acid were measured in serum. Oxidative stress index was calculated from the formula. Results: While serum malondialdehyde, total sialic acid, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index were significantly elevated, serum paraoxonase, arylesterase and lactonase activities and total antioxidant status were significantly decreased in acetic-acid induced experimental colitis. In acetic-acid induced experimental colitis, L-carnitine caused a significant decrease in serum malondialdehyde, total sialic acid, total oxidant status and oxidative stress index but a significant increase in serum arylesterase and lactonase activities of treatment group only. Conclusion: L-Carnitine has an increasing effect on serum arylesterase and lactonase activities and decreasing effect on oxidative stress in acetic acid-induced experimental colitis. Therefore, L-carnitine may be useful for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.