Acetyl-L-carnitine (hydrochloride)

Acetyl-L-carnitine (O-Acetyl-L-carnitine) hydrochloride is a blood-brain permeable acetyl ester of the amino acid L-carnitine with anti-apoptotic effects. Acetyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride promotes neuronal survival and mitochondrial activity, attenuates DNA fragmentation and nuclear condensation in cultured neurons and signifcantly decreases histone-DNA release into the cytoplasm. Acetyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride is often used as a dietary supplement, and is promising for research of stress-related psychiatric disorders^[1][2][3]. In Vitro:Acetyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride (1-100 μM, 3 days) inhibits the cell death and mitochondrial activity in the cultured neurons from the cerebral cortex, striatum and thalamus^[3].
Acetyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride (1-100 μM, 3 days) decreases the appearance of DNA laddering, DNA condensation and inhibits the release of histone-DNA complex into the cytoplasm in rat neuronal cells^[3].
In Vivo:Acetyl-L-carnitine hydrochloride (0.1 mg/L, diluted in water, 10 min per day for 7 days) reverses unpredictable chronic stress (UCS)-induced anxiety-like behavior and oxidative damage in zebrafish^[1].