Poster Presenter

Effect Of Acetyl-L-Carnitine Chronic Administration To Old Rat On The Liver Mitochondrial Proteome
Musicco C, Capelli V, Timperio AM, Zolla L, Pesce V, Renis M, Cantatore P, Gadaleta MN
Italy

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) is a biomolecule able to limit age-linked mitochondrial decay (Gadaleta MN et al, 1998, Biochimie) and to activate mitochondrial biogenesis (Cassano P et al. 2009, Biochim. Biophys. Acta). The aim of this work was to study the effect of ALCAR administration on the mitochondrial proteome of aged rat liver.
Experiments were performed on 12-month-old (adult) and 28-month-old (old) male rats. Mitochondrial proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and identified by mass spectrometry. Old rats were treated with ALCAR daily dose of about 0.5 g/kg of body weight for two months.

In old rats versus adult rats, 45 differentially expressed proteins were identified. The 62% of this proteins belong to metabolic mitochondrial metabolisms. Moreover, the accumulation of an acidic spot of Peroxiredoxin III (Prx III), an antioxidant enzyme, was found. By MALDI analysis, it was verified that the catalytic Cys was overoxidized to Cys sulphonic acid making inactive the enzyme. This is the first time that this overoxidized form of Prx III is found, in vivo, in rat liver.

ALCAR treatment reduced the accumulation of the overoxidized PrxIII form (Musicco C et al, 2009, Biochim. Biophys. Acta) and counteracted some other protein alterations induced by aging.