Tehran University of Medical Sciences The Research in Heart Yield and Translational Medicine (RHYTHM) 3115-7270 12 2 2017 05 15 57 64 EN Mohammad Mohammadi Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Azita Hajhossein Talasaz Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. AND Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Alidoosti Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Hamid Reza Pour Hosseini Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Kheirollah Gholami Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Arash Jalali Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Hamid Aryannejad Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2016 06 10 2017 03 09 Background: L-carnitine may prevent the incidence of AKI by its antioxidant effects and improving circulation in ischemic conditions. The goal of this trial was to evaluate the impact of L-carnitine on contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing elective PCI. Methods: Totally, the patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups. The treatment group received 1 g of L-carnitine orally 3 times a day, 24 hours before the procedure (3 g before PCI) and 2 g after PCI, whereas the control group did not receive L-carnitine. In both groups, the plasma level of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was measured at baseline and 12 hours after PCI. Results: Our study was conducted on 202 patients (including 91 vs. 111 patients in the treatment and the control group; 31 (34.1%) vs 33 (29.7%) female in carnitine and control group; and ages include 62.0 ± 9.0 vs 57.0 ± 11.2 years). The median plasma levels of NGAL were not different between the carnitine and control groups at baseline (57 [IQR: 22 – 255] vs. 54 [IQR: 29 – 324]; p value = 0.155) and 12 hours after PCI (71 [IQR: 52 – 129] vs. 70 [IQR: 46 – 153]; p value = 0.925), but the changes in the plasma NGAL from baseline to 12 hours after PCI were different between the 2 groups (5 [IQR:-147 – 30] vs. 17 [IQR: -21 – 41]; p value = 0.010). Conclusion: Our results showed that oral L-carnitine was able to prevent an increase in NGAL following contrast medium administration in patients undergoing PCI. More studies should be performed to fully elucidate the nephroprotective effects of L-carnitine.  https://rhythm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/view/565 https://rhythm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/download/565/586