[L-carnitine in peritoneal dialysis].

L-carnitine is an important compound involved both in the transfer of activated long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane and in the modulation of the acyl coenzyme A/free coenzyme A ratio in various intracellular compartments. These processes activate several metabolic and cellular functions, and L-carnitine supplementation proved able to reduce insulin resistance and improve lipid metabolism, muscle tropism and erythrocyte rheology. Thus, L-carnitine may be considered a conditional drug rather than a conditional vitamin.