Effect of L-carnitine on oxidative stress in maintenance hemodialysis patients with anemia

Objective To observe the effect of L-carnitine on the oxidative stress induced by intravenous iron in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.Methods Thirty MHD patients were randomly divided into two groups:group A (n=15) and group B (n=15). The patients in group A received dialysis 2 times per week (4 h/day), and 3 times a week (4 h/day) in group B. The patients in group A and group B were treated with iron sucrose in the initial 30 days (groups A1 and B1). Iron sucrose and L-carnitine were used in the later 30 days (groups A2 and B2). Fifteen healthy adults were chosen as group C. The human serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathion peroxidase (GSHPX), serum malonaldehyde (MDA), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TSAT), urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), total protein (TP), and albumin (Alb) were measured pre-and post-treatment. Preliminary experiment was done to detect kit and instrument stabilities, to investigate whether the results in group C were within the normal range of the kit and the instrument, the stability of the kit and the instrument, and to analyze the optimum sample size.Results Serum MDA level in groups A2 and B2 were lower than that in groups A1 and B1 (P<0.05). Serum levels of GSHPX, and SOD in groups A2 and B2 were higher than those in groups A1 and B1 (P<0.05). Whether use of L-carnitine or not, the MDA, GSHPX and SOD levels in the patients given hemodialysis 2 times per week were higher than those in the patients given hemodialysis 3 times per week.Conclusions L-carnitine can alleviate intravenous iron-induced oxidative stress in MHD patients.