Effects of intravenous L-acetylcarnitine on retinal oscillatory potentials

L-acetylcarnitine is a compound with cholinergic properties and putative action on the visual system and the glucose metabolism. Ten healthy, emmertropic volunteers (age range: 21 to 28 years) were studied. Each subject was administered 5, 10, and 30 mg/kg acute intravenous doses of L-acetylcarnitine and matching placebo. Retinal oscillatory potentials to full-field flash stimulation were recorded before and 30, 60, and 120 min after administration. A systematic reduction of the implicit time of the P2 and N2 oscillatory potential components was observed after administration of the 10 and 30 mg/kg doses: significant changes were not evident at the 5 mg dose or after placebo. The latency reduction was significantly correlated with the postdrug increment of the L-acetylcarnitine plasma concentration. No other systematic modification in latency of amplitude was observed.The results were presented in part at the XXV I.S.C.E.V. Symposium, Sarasota (Florida), April 26–30, 1987.