Effects of acetyl-L-carnitine on the brain lipofuscin content and emotional behavior in aged rats.

The effects of long-term dosing with acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) were examined in aged rats, and they were compared with those in young rats. ALC significantly reduced the lipofuscin deposition in the brain of aged rats. Emotional parameters such as locomotor activity and rearing behavior are lower in aged rats than in young rats, and these behaviors decreased in both age groups during the experiments. ALC diminished the decrease of these emotional behaviors, especially in rearing behavior in the aged rats. Furthermore, ALC had no effect on body weight gain. These results might reflect one of the main beneficial pharmacological mechanisms of ALC in clinical use.