L-carnitine inhibits a subset of platelet activation responses in chronic uraemia

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at L-Carnitine.

In the present study, the researchers investigated in vitro and in vivo the effects of LC on PS exposure in platelets from chronic uraemic patients.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 10 patients taking part.

PubMed indexes the participants as older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, placebo-controlled and crossover.

The patients were allocated by chance, so the L-Carnitine group and the comparison group should start out alike.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the L-Carnitine group a baseline to be compared against.

Each person switched between L-Carnitine and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

Platelet PS-exposure was assayed by flow cytometry using annexin V.

Caspase activity in platelets was determined by the cleaving activity of the specific substrate DEVD-pNA and by a flow cytometric assay using rhodamine-fluorescence.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Blood Platelets, Carnitine, Caspases, Chronic Disease, Kidney Failure, Chronic, P-Selectin and Phosphatidylserines.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, placebo-controlled and crossover study of L-Carnitine in 10 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 7 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2007 (Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association), a journal based in England.

More context: the L-Carnitine compound page, all human trials.