Acetyl-L-Carnitine Alleviates Pain, Regenerates Nerve Endings 33509

Acetyl-L-Carnitine Alleviates Pain, Regenerates Nerve Endings

DETROIT--Further benefits of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) for diabeticswere uncovered by Wayne State University researchers in an analysis of tworandomized, placebo-controlled trials published in the current issue of DiabetesCare (28:89-94, 2005) (http://care.diabetesjournals.org).

Databases from two 52-week randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical, diabeticneuropathy trials testing two doses of ALC (500 and 1,000 mg/d) were evaluated,involving 1,257 intention-to-treat patients (93 percent of enrolled patients).The efficacy end points studied included sural nerve morphometry, nerveconduction velocities, vibration perception thresholds, clinical symptom scores,and a visual analogue scale for most bothersome symptoms--most notably, pain.The two studies were evaluated separately, then combined.

Data showed significant improvements in sural nerve fiber numbers andregenerating nerve fiber clusters. Nerve conduction velocities and amplitudesdid not improve, but vibration perception improved in both studies. Pain, notedas the most bothersome symptom, showed significant improvement in one study andin the combined cohort supplemented with 1,000 mg/d ALC.

The researchers concluded the two studies demonstrate ALC treatment isefficacious in alleviating pain and improving nerve fiber regeneration andvibration perception in patients with established diabetic neuropathy.