title: Differential effect of creatine on oxidatively-injured mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.
abstract: Creatine is a naturally occurring compound obtained in humans from endogenous production and consumption through the diet. It is used as an ergogenic aid to improve exercise performance and increase fat-free mass. Lately, creatine's positive therapeutic benefits in various oxidative stress-associated diseases have been reported in literature and, more recently, creatine has also been shown to exert direct antioxidant effects. Oxidatively-challenged DNA was analysed to show possible protective effects of creatine. Acellular and cellular studies were carried out. Acellular assays, performed using molecular approaches, showed that creatine protects circular and linear DNA from oxidative attacks. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNAs from oxidatively-injured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were analyzed. Creatine supplementation showed significant genoprotective activity on mitochondrial DNA. This evidence suggests that creatine may play an important role in mitochondrial genome stability in that it could normalize mitochondrial mutagenesis and its functional consequences. Thus, creatine supplementation could be used to prevent or ameliorate diseases related to mitochondrial DNA mutations, and possibly to delay aging.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricerca sull'Attività Motoria, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via I Maggetti 26, 61029 Urbino PU, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Potenza
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sestili
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guescini
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stocchi
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeppa
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polidori
authors.forename: Giosuè
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Annibalini
authors.forename: Vilberto
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stocchi
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003401:Creatine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000378:metabolism*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004247:DNA; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D003401:Creatine