RESUMO
AIM: To examine the effects of L-carnitine on apoptosis in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia/reoxygenat ion and its possible mechanism. METHODS: A cell culture model of neonatal rat cardiacmyocytes wa s used. The cultured cardiomyocytes were classified into three groups: control g roup, I/R group (anoxia for 120 min, reoxygenation for 240 min) and L-carnitine group (L-carnitine, which was classified into four different concentrations, was added to the cells 2 h before anoxia). The activities of superoxide dismutase ( S OD), the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the apoptosis were determined by f low cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: In I/R group SOD activities were lower, and the apoptos is rate and MDA were higher than those in control group and they were statistica lly significant (P