Effects of pantethine and its metabolites on fatty acid oxidation in rat liver mitochondria.

Abstract
The mechanism of the activating effect of pantethine [D-bis-(N-pantothenyl-.beta.-aminoethyl)disulfide].sbd.used as an antiatherogenic drug.sbd.on fatty acid oxidation was investigated in rat liver mitochondria. Pantethine, pantetheine and 4''-phosphopantetheine activated 3 steps of fatty acid oxidation , i.e., acyl-CoA synthetase, carnitine acyltransferase and intramitochondrial oxidation, to various extents. Although their effects may have been partly due to CoASH derived from them, they also had specific effects.