Myocardial-Protective Effects of Carnitine Enriched Cardioplegic Solutions

The myocardioprotective effects of L-Carnitine enriched cardioplegic solutions were investigated on 32 patients. It was detected that total carnitine levels of right atrial speciement were decreased at the end of the ischemic arrest in control group where as it increased in the carnitine group, with less lactate production. In carnitine group there were lesser elevations in myocardial creatinin kinase levels when compared to the control group. Myocardial oxygen utilization was two fold higher during the aortic declamping when carnitine was added to the cardioplegic solutions. It was also revealed that cardiac index and left ventricular stroke work index was higher in the carnitine group at the first two hours of aortic declamping in which there was less inotropic requirement.