The Effect of L-Carnitine and 10 Weeks of Aerobic Exercise on Serum Levels of CRP in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Cardiovascular complications are considered as the main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. The role of increased serum concentrations of inflammatory markers, particularly C Reactive Protein (CRP), in the prediction and the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications of type 1 diabetes has been established. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of 10 weeks of L-carnitine supplementation and aerobic exercise training on serum levels of CRP in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Male wistar rats (n=36), weighing 230±10 (grams) were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=6 each), including the healthy group, and the remaining (after the induction of diabetes mellitus by injection of streptozotocin), into the diabetic pre-test, diabetic control, diabetic aerobic training, diabetic oral L-carnitine treatment, and the diabetic aerobic training plus oral L-carnitine treatment groups. At the end of the interventions, blood samples were collected to determine serum levels of CRP. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test using SPSS version 20; P values Althought L-carnitine supplem­entation in diabetic oral L-carnitine treatment group did not significantly reduce serum levels of CRP, compared with the diabetic control group (p=0.078), it however reduced the rate of its progressive increase. Also significant reductions in CRP levels in both the aerobic training (p=0) and the aerobic training plus L-carnitine supplementation groups (p=0) were observed. However, the percentage changes of CRP level in the latter group was higher.
Results of the current study show that, aerobic training can reduce serum CRP levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and the simultaneous use of L-carnitine supplementation, can lead to more beneficial effects.