MSI_000045929

Hexanoylcarnitine (CAS: 6418-78-6), also known as caproylcarnitine, is an acylcarnitine. Acylcarnitines are the product of the conjugation of carnitine with acyl-coenzyme A, that allows the transport of fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes. Long or medium chain fatty acids are then oxidized in the mitochondria for energy production. The ionic nature of L-carnitine causes high water solubility which decreases with increasing chain lengths of the ester group in the acylcarnitines. Therefore, the distribution of L-carnitine and acylcarnitines in various organs is defined not only by their function but also by their physicochemical properties. Hexanoylcarnitine is a medium-chain acylcarnitine present in the urine of patients with medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (PMID: 1635814). Hexanoylcarnitine is also found to be associated with celiac disease and glutaric aciduria II which are both inborn errors of metabolism. Numerous disorders have been described that lead to disturbances in energy production and in intermediary metabolism, which are characterized by the production and excretion of unusual acylcarnitines. A mutation in the gene coding for carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase or the OCTN2 transporter aetiologically causes a carnitine deficiency that results in poor intestinal absorption of dietary L-carnitine, its impaired reabsorption by the kidney and, consequently, in increased urinary loss of L-carnitine. Determination of the qualitative pattern of acylcarnitines can be of diagnostic and therapeutic importance. The betaine structure of carnitine requires special analytical procedures for recording. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) permits screening for free and total carnitine, as well as complete quantitative acylcarnitine determination, including the long-chain acylcarnitine profile (PMID: 17508264, Monatshefte fuer Chemie (2005), 136(8), 1279-1291., Int J Mass Spectrom. 1999;188:39-52.). L-Hexanoylcarnitine is an acylcarnitine. Numerous disorders have been described that lead to disturbances in energy production and in intermediary metabolism in the organism which are characterized by the production and excretion of unusual acylcarnitines. A mutation in the gene coding for carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase or the OCTN2 transporter aetiologically causes a carnitine deficiency that results in poor intestinal absorption of dietary L-carnitine, its impaired reabsorption by the kidney and, consequently, in increased urinary loss of L-carnitine. Determination of the qualitative pattern of acylcarnitines can be of diagnostic and therapeutic importance. The betaine structure of carnitine requires special analytical procedures for recording. The ionic nature of L-carnitine causes a high water solubility which decreases with increasing chain length of the ester group in the acylcarnitines. Therefore, the distribution of L-carnitine and acylcarnitines in various organs is defined by their function and their physico-chemical properties as well. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) permits screening for free and total carnitine, as well as complete quantitative acylcarnitine determination, including the long-chain acylcarnitine profile. (PMID: 17508264, Monatshefte fuer Chemie (2005), 136(8), 1279-1291., Int J Mass Spectrom. 1999;188:39-52.) L-Hexanoylcarnitine is an acylcarnitine and is found to be associated with celiac disease.