title: Effects of creatine on synthesis and release of gamma-[3H]aminobutyric acid.
abstract: Creatine has been used previously to alter the energy balance of neurons in brain slices. In the present experiments, it was found to reduce the accumulation of gamma-[3H]aminobutyric acid ([3H]GABA) as synthesized from [3H]glutamine or [3H]glutamic acid in slices of rat neostriatum. The lowest effective concentration was 5 mM. Creatine (25 mM) was also effective when the degrading enzyme of GABA, i.e., GABA-alpha-oxoglutarate transaminase, was blocked by gabaculine. Creatine (25 mM) did not inhibit the uptake and subsequent accumulation of [3H]GABA. Thus, indirect evidence was obtained that creatine decreased the activity of the synthesizing enzyme of GABA, i.e., glutamate decarboxylase. When the direct effect of creatine (25 mM) on glutamate decarboxylase was studied in vitro, the agent indeed decreased the activity of the enzyme. Creatine (25 mM) also diminished the release of [3H]GABA (expressed as dpm/mg wet weight) from rat neostriatal slices, probably by reducing its synthesis and thus its readily releasable pool. These data are of importance for studies with creatine in complex neuronal systems, because they show that the agent changes not only neuronal energy balance, but also synthesis and release of the ubiquitous transmitter GABA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Freiburg, F.R.G.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schultheiss
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thate
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003401:Creatine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014316:Tritium; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D014316:Tritium; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; D003401:Creatine