Re: Anti-aging carnitine and alpha lipoic acid?

[Guest guest]

I don't know about A Lipoic Acid, but L-carnitine is the one supp I use regularly, and I believe it lowers my average BP. I have no idea how much is an optimum dosage, however.

It also helped to lose a few pounds.

Regards.

-- Original Message -----

From: Al Pater

Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 7:28 PM

Subject: [ ] Anti-aging carnitine and alpha lipoic acid?

Hi All,It seemed to be of interest that carnitine and alpha lipoic acid may favorablyaffect the reduced levels of key mitochondrial enzymes during aging. Even for theyoung, it was no so bad.Savitha S, Sivarajan K, Haripriya D, Kokilavani V, Panneerselvam C.Efficacy of levo carnitine and alpha lipoic acid in ameliorating the decline inmitochondrial enzymes during aging.Clin Nutr. 2005 Oct;24(5):794-800. PMID: 15919137 BACKGROUND: Mitochondria are central to energy production and are therefore fullyintegrated into the rest of the cell's physiological responses to stress. Theage-related decline of capacity of each cell to manufacture energy (as ATP) is dueto the progressive loss of structural integrity of mitochondria. It is apparent thatas the body ages, the cells become less and less able to maintain threshold levelsof cellular energy production. METHODS: In the present study we have evaluated theefficacy of carnitine, a mitochondrial metabolite and lipoic acid, a potentantioxidant on the activities of the tri carboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes likesuccinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase,Isocitrate dehydrogenase and electron transport complex I-IV in young and aged heartmitochondria. RESULT: We observed that there was an age-dependent decrement in thelevels of the TCA cycle enzymes and electron transport chain complexes.Supplementation of carnitine (300 mg/kg bw/day) and lipoic acid (100 mg/kg bw/day)for 30 days brought the activities of these enzymes to almost near normal levels.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the combination of these drugs raises themitochondrial energy producing capabilities by reversing the age-associated declinein mitochondrial enzyme activities and thereby protecting mitochondria from aging.... Carnitine is a natural substance that acts as a carrier of fatty acids acrossthe inner mitochondrial membrane for subsequent â-oxidation. l-carnitine and itsesters are endogenously synthesized in man and also found in diet.8 Carnitines areessential cofactors of several enzymes necessary for the transformation of longchain fatty acids. Thus, we chose to administer carnitine to aged rats to improvethe mitochondria-mediated bioenergetics. But despite the benefits of carnitinetreatment, there are also potential adverse effects. While carnitine supplementationreversed many of the altered characteristics evident in mitochondrial metabolismwith age, the rate of oxidant production was higher in carnitine-supplemented rats.9We further observed that the age-related increase in oxidant production andoxidative damage can be reversed by co-supplementation with á-lipoic acid, adisulfide compound found naturally in plants and animals.10 The disulfide form oflipoic acid is reduced in mitochondria by specific dehydrogenase and itssupplementation would thus target an antioxidant to the mitochondria, the major siteof free radical production.11 Supplementation with LA may also boost mitochondrialfunction because it is a co-factor for pyruvate and á-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase12and 13 and as such, may be a useful dietary supplement in its own right to increaseoverall mitochondrial metabolism. ... Male albino rats of Wistar strain approximately 3–4-months-old (young) and above24-months-old (aged) were used in this study. They were healthy animals procuredfrom The King's Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai. The animals were housedin large spacious cages and were given food and water ad libitum. The animal roomwas well ventilated and had 12 h light/dark cycles throughout the experimentalperiod. The animals were maintained on a commercial rat feed which contained 5% fat,21% protein, 55% nitrogen-free extract and 4% fiber (wt/wt) with adequate mineraland vitamin contents.... Table 1. Effect of carnitine and lipoic acid on the TCA cycle enzymes of heartmitochondria in young and aged rat.=========================================Parameters Young control Young combination Aged control Aged+carnitine Aged+lipoicacid Aged combination =========================================Succinate dehydrogenase 39.83±4.71 41±4.69 27.17±2.93* 33.17±3.54lk and lk 32±3.46lkand lk 38.25±3.09† Malate dehydrogenase 21.13±2.37 21.83±2.54 14.08±1.43* 17.12±1.70lk and lk16.67±1.99lk and lk 20.08±2.50† Isocitrate dehydrogenase 13.01±1.41 13.26±1.59 8.70±1.08* 10.44±0.16lk and lk10.27±1.18lk and lk 12.02±1.41† á-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase 8.92±1.07 9.44±1.16 5.75±0.71* 7.27±0.81lk and lk7.02±0.80lk and lk 8.58±1.02† =========================================Values are expressed as mean ± SD for six rats in each group.Succinate dehydrogenase, micromoles of succinate oxidized per min per mg protein;malate dehydrogenase, nanomoles of NADH oxidized per min per mg protein, isocitratedehydrogenase, nanomoles of á-ketoglutarate formed per min per mg protein;á-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, micromoles of potassium ferrocyanide liberated permin per mg protein.* Differences compared with young control rats.† Differences compared with aged control rats.‡ Differences compared with aged rats treated with carnitine and lipoic acid....the utilization of carnitine and lipoic acid can lead to an improvement in thequality of living during the later stages of life by revitalizing the mitochondriaand reversing the declining level of the body's energy metabolism.Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

[Guest guest]

I don't know about A Lipoic Acid, but L-carnitine is the one supp I use regularly, and I believe it lowers my average BP. I have no idea how much is an optimum dosage, however.

It also helped to lose a few pounds.

Regards.

-- Original Message -----

From: Al Pater

Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 7:28 PM

Subject: [ ] Anti-aging carnitine and alpha lipoic acid?

Hi All,It seemed to be of interest that carnitine and alpha lipoic acid may favorablyaffect the reduced levels of key mitochondrial enzymes during aging. Even for theyoung, it was no so bad.Savitha S, Sivarajan K, Haripriya D, Kokilavani V, Panneerselvam C.Efficacy of levo carnitine and alpha lipoic acid in ameliorating the decline inmitochondrial enzymes during aging.Clin Nutr. 2005 Oct;24(5):794-800. PMID: 15919137 BACKGROUND: Mitochondria are central to energy production and are therefore fullyintegrated into the rest of the cell's physiological responses to stress. Theage-related decline of capacity of each cell to manufacture energy (as ATP) is dueto the progressive loss of structural integrity of mitochondria. It is apparent thatas the body ages, the cells become less and less able to maintain threshold levelsof cellular energy production. METHODS: In the present study we have evaluated theefficacy of carnitine, a mitochondrial metabolite and lipoic acid, a potentantioxidant on the activities of the tri carboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes likesuccinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase,Isocitrate dehydrogenase and electron transport complex I-IV in young and aged heartmitochondria. RESULT: We observed that there was an age-dependent decrement in thelevels of the TCA cycle enzymes and electron transport chain complexes.Supplementation of carnitine (300 mg/kg bw/day) and lipoic acid (100 mg/kg bw/day)for 30 days brought the activities of these enzymes to almost near normal levels.CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the combination of these drugs raises themitochondrial energy producing capabilities by reversing the age-associated declinein mitochondrial enzyme activities and thereby protecting mitochondria from aging.... Carnitine is a natural substance that acts as a carrier of fatty acids acrossthe inner mitochondrial membrane for subsequent â-oxidation. l-carnitine and itsesters are endogenously synthesized in man and also found in diet.8 Carnitines areessential cofactors of several enzymes necessary for the transformation of longchain fatty acids. Thus, we chose to administer carnitine to aged rats to improvethe mitochondria-mediated bioenergetics. But despite the benefits of carnitinetreatment, there are also potential adverse effects. While carnitine supplementationreversed many of the altered characteristics evident in mitochondrial metabolismwith age, the rate of oxidant production was higher in carnitine-supplemented rats.9We further observed that the age-related increase in oxidant production andoxidative damage can be reversed by co-supplementation with á-lipoic acid, adisulfide compound found naturally in plants and animals.10 The disulfide form oflipoic acid is reduced in mitochondria by specific dehydrogenase and itssupplementation would thus target an antioxidant to the mitochondria, the major siteof free radical production.11 Supplementation with LA may also boost mitochondrialfunction because it is a co-factor for pyruvate and á-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase12and 13 and as such, may be a useful dietary supplement in its own right to increaseoverall mitochondrial metabolism. ... Male albino rats of Wistar strain approximately 3–4-months-old (young) and above24-months-old (aged) were used in this study. They were healthy animals procuredfrom The King's Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai. The animals were housedin large spacious cages and were given food and water ad libitum. The animal roomwas well ventilated and had 12 h light/dark cycles throughout the experimentalperiod. The animals were maintained on a commercial rat feed which contained 5% fat,21% protein, 55% nitrogen-free extract and 4% fiber (wt/wt) with adequate mineraland vitamin contents.... Table 1. Effect of carnitine and lipoic acid on the TCA cycle enzymes of heartmitochondria in young and aged rat.=========================================Parameters Young control Young combination Aged control Aged+carnitine Aged+lipoicacid Aged combination =========================================Succinate dehydrogenase 39.83±4.71 41±4.69 27.17±2.93* 33.17±3.54lk and lk 32±3.46lkand lk 38.25±3.09† Malate dehydrogenase 21.13±2.37 21.83±2.54 14.08±1.43* 17.12±1.70lk and lk16.67±1.99lk and lk 20.08±2.50† Isocitrate dehydrogenase 13.01±1.41 13.26±1.59 8.70±1.08* 10.44±0.16lk and lk10.27±1.18lk and lk 12.02±1.41† á-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase 8.92±1.07 9.44±1.16 5.75±0.71* 7.27±0.81lk and lk7.02±0.80lk and lk 8.58±1.02† =========================================Values are expressed as mean ± SD for six rats in each group.Succinate dehydrogenase, micromoles of succinate oxidized per min per mg protein;malate dehydrogenase, nanomoles of NADH oxidized per min per mg protein, isocitratedehydrogenase, nanomoles of á-ketoglutarate formed per min per mg protein;á-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, micromoles of potassium ferrocyanide liberated permin per mg protein.* Differences compared with young control rats.† Differences compared with aged control rats.‡ Differences compared with aged rats treated with carnitine and lipoic acid....the utilization of carnitine and lipoic acid can lead to an improvement in thequality of living during the later stages of life by revitalizing the mitochondriaand reversing the declining level of the body's energy metabolism.Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

[Guest guest]

>> They discovered that by combining a natural, energy-boosting component

(acetyl L-carnitine) with a powerful anti-oxidant (alpha lipoic acid) they could

slow the cell aging process.

Unfortunately, there isnt any data in humans right now to support this. There

is some in relation to Alzheimers but not aging.

Jeff

[Guest guest]

>> They discovered that by combining a natural, energy-boosting component

(acetyl L-carnitine) with a powerful anti-oxidant (alpha lipoic acid) they could

slow the cell aging process.

Unfortunately, there isnt any data in humans right now to support this. There

is some in relation to Alzheimers but not aging.

Jeff