Potential beneficial metabolic properties of L-carnitine. Carnitine has been postulated to have beneficial effects on metabolism via stimulation of glucose oxidation. As fatty
acid b-oxidation-derived acetyl CoA inhibits PDH, the rate-limiting enzyme of glucose oxidation, supplementation with carnitine increases levels of carnitine substrate for CRAT,
which lowers the acetyl CoA/CoA ratio in the mitochondrial matrix, thereby relieving inhibition of PDH and increasing glucose oxidation. CPT ecarnitine palmitoyl transferase, CRAT
e carnitine acetyltransferase, MPC e mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, PDH e pyruvate dehydrogenase, TCA e tricarboxylic acid.