| Popis: |
The canonical definition of carnitine system is that of a system composed of carnitine and esters of carnitine (i.e., acylcarnitines) derived from reversible reactions catalized by membrane-bound enzymes named carnitine acyltrans-ferases. The scope is to carry, to form, and to exchange carbon chains of different chain lengths (acyl moieties) by involving all the intracellular organelles and the nucleus during cell metabolic processes. The scope is to produce energy, to build lipids, to export toxic metabolites, functions that end in modulation of gene expression according to the specialized duties of the differentiated cell in which carnitine system resides. The system also involves cell membrane carnitine transporters pertaining to an interesting family of transporters which are not only critical in absorption, targeting and disposition of many clinically important drugs but also involved in the transport of endogenous molecules other than carnitine (e.g., amines, vitamins). Thus, the necessity of investigating drugs which interact with carnitine transport has been the objective of several scientific papers. But drugs may also affect carnitine synthesis and carnitine intracellular enzyme network as will also be reported in this paper. |
