Acetyl-DL-carnitine is a racemic mixture of the short-chain acylcarnitine acetyl-D-carnitine and the mitochondrial metabolite acetyl-L-carnitine . It increases the oxidation rate of the branched-chain 2-oxo acid 3-methyl-2-butanoate in isolated rat muscle mitochondria in the absence of carnitine when used at a concentration of 1 mM.[1] Acetyl-DL-carnitine decreases the hind limb vasculature blood flow rate in rats in a dose-dependent manner.[2] It decreases the levels of palmitic acid and oleic acid in the cerebral cortex during the recovery period in a dog model of hypoglycemic brain injury induced by insulin.[3]
References:
[1].Veerkamp, J.H., van Moerkerk, H.T.B., and Wagenmakers, A.J.M.Interaction of short-chain and branched-chain fatty acids and their carnitine and CoA esters and of various metabolites and agents with branced-chain 2-oxo acid oxidation in rat muscle and liver mitochondriaInt. J. Biochem.17(9)967-974(1985).
[2].Louis-Ferdinand, R.T., Cutroneo, K.R., Kosegarten, D.C., et al.Flow decrease through rat hind limb vasculature by (plus or minus)-carnitine, (plus or minus)-acetylcarnitine and (plus or minss)-chloroacetylcarnitine chloridesJ. Pharm. Pharmacol.22(9)704-705(1970).
[3].Benzi, G., Gorini, A., Dossena, M., et al.Recovery after hypoglycemic brain injury. Action of some biological substances on the cerebral metabolismBiochem. Pharmacol.32(6)1083-1091(1983).