Pharmacokinetics Of Carnitine And Acylcarnitines In End Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$257,000.00
Summary
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 dys ....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.Read moreRead less
Benefits Of Intravenous L-Carnitine Supplementation In Long-Term Haemodialysis Patients
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$406,648.00
Summary
Carnitine allows the body to utilise fats in our diet, permitting normal functioning of the body. The applicants have shown that patients who receive long-term haemodialysis treatment have abnormal levels of carnitine and have demonstrated a link between these abnormal levels and some dialysis-related conditions. This study will determine whether supplementation with L-carnitine is beneficial in the treatment of some clinical disorders experienced by haemodialysis patients.
L-amino Acid Sensing By The Extracellular Calcium-sensing Receptor: Molecular, Cellular And In Vivo Studies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$362,545.00
Summary
Recent work by Dr Conigrave and colleagues demonstrates for the first time that protein and calcium metabolism are linked at the molecular level by the widely distributed calcium-sensing receptor. The project will aim to demonstrate the physiological significance of this finding by testing whether L-amino acids, the building blocks of body protein, exert receptor-dependent control over the secretion and blood levels of hormones that regulate body calcium levels. It will further test the hypothes ....Recent work by Dr Conigrave and colleagues demonstrates for the first time that protein and calcium metabolism are linked at the molecular level by the widely distributed calcium-sensing receptor. The project will aim to demonstrate the physiological significance of this finding by testing whether L-amino acids, the building blocks of body protein, exert receptor-dependent control over the secretion and blood levels of hormones that regulate body calcium levels. It will further test the hypothesis by determining whether amino acids exert receptor-dependent control over the proliferation of bone forming cells and urinary excretion of calcium.Read moreRead less