Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Carnitine Content of Human Hippocampus and Erythrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease

We have studied carnitine and acetyl-l-carnitine content of hippocampus and erythrocytes from Alzheimer's disease patients and elderly control subjects. Carnitine content was similar in erythrocytes from Alzheimer's disease patients and controls, but in contrast acetyl-l-carnitine content was significantly lower in the Alzheimer's disease patients compared with control subjects. In post-mortem samples from hippocampus, carnitine and acetyl-l-carnitine content did not differ significantly between patients when related to the protein content.