title: Protective effects of some creatine derivatives in brain tissue anoxia.
abstract: Some derivatives more lipophylic than creatine, thus theoretically being capable to better cross the blood-brain barrier, were studied for their protective effect in mouse hippocampal slices. We found that N-amidino-piperidine is harmful to brain tissue, and that phosphocreatine is ineffective. Creatine, creatine-Mg-complex (acetate) and phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) increased the latency to population spike disappearance during anoxia. Creatine and creatine-Mg-complex (acetate) also increased the latency of anoxic depolarization, while the delay induced by phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) was of borderline significance (P = 0.056). Phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) significantly reduced neuronal hyperexcitability during anoxia, an effect that no other compound (including creatine itself) showed. For all parameters except reduced hyperexcitability the effects statistically correlated with tissue levels of creatine or phosphocreatine. Summing up, exogenous phosphocreatine and N-amidino piperidine are not useful for brain protection, while chelates of both creatine and phosphocreatine do replicate some of the known protective effects of creatine. In addition, phosphocreatine-Mg-complex (acetate) also reduced neuronal hyperexcitability during anoxia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology and Genetics, University of Genova, Via De Toni 5, Genova 16132, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perasso
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Lunardi
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Risso
authors.forename: Anna V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Pohvozcheva
authors.forename: Maria V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Leko
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gandolfo
authors.forename: Tullio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: Aroldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cupello
authors.forename: Sergey V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Burov
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balestrino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003401:Creatine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D003401:Creatine