The effect of L-carnitine on the prevention of experimentally induced myringosclerosis in rats

The objective of this study was to investigate the possible effect of L-carnitine on the prevention of experimentally induced myringosclerosis. Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally myringotomized. The rats were divided into two groups randomly: group 1 which were intraperitoneally administered saline and group 2 which were intraperitoneally administered L-carnitine. Blood samples were collected for biochemical evaluation and the tympanic membranes were harvested after 28 days. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation were done under light microscopy. The mean malondialdehyde levels were 3.9 +/- 0.9 in group 2, and 7.9 +/- 1.1 in group 1 (P < 0.001), nitric oxide levels were 25.6 +/- 6.4 in group 2 and 30.8 +/- 8.2 in group 1 (P = 0.14) and acetyleholinesterase was 1035 +/- 60 in group 2 and 678 +/- 35 in group 1 (P = 0.001). Myringosclerosis was more frequent and severe in group 1 than group 2 (P < 0.007). Immunoreactivity was seen in 16 of 20 tympanic membranes in group 2 and six of 20 tympanic membranes in group 1 (P = 0.005). We conclude that L-carnitine diminishes the occurrence of myringosclerosis in rats after myringotomy possibly by antioxidant activity and decreasing the formation of reactive oxygen species. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.