Neurochemical correlates of differential neuroprotection by long-term dietary creatine supplementation

Brain Res. 2005 Oct 5;1058(1-2):183-8. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2005.07.011. Epub 2005 Sep 6.

Abstract

Dietary supplementation with creatine has proven to be beneficial in models of acute and chronic neurodegeneration. We report here data on the neurochemical correlates of differential protection of long-term creatine supplementation in two models of excitotoxicity in rats, as well as in the mouse model for ALS (G93A mice). In rats, the fall in cholinergic and GABAergic markers due to the excitotoxic death of intrinsic neurons caused by intrastriatal infusion of the neurotoxin, ibotenic acid, was significantly prevented by long-term dietary supplementation with creatine. On the contrary, creatine was unable to recover a cholinergic marker in the cortex of rats subjected to the excitotoxic death of the cholinergic basal forebrain neurons. In G93A mice, long-term creatine supplementation marginally but significantly increased mean lifespan, as previously observed by others, and reverted the cholinergic deficit present in some forebrain areas at an intermediate stage of the disease. In both rats and mice, creatine supplementation increased the activity of the GABAergic enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase, in the striatum but not in other brain regions. The present data point at alterations of neurochemical parameters marking specific neuronal populations, as a useful way to evaluate neuroprotective effects of long-term creatine supplementation in animal models of neurodegeneration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylcholine / metabolism
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / drug therapy
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / genetics
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Basal Nucleus of Meynert / drug effects
  • Basal Nucleus of Meynert / metabolism
  • Basal Nucleus of Meynert / physiopathology
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Brain / drug effects*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Cell Death / drug effects
  • Cell Death / physiology
  • Cholinergic Fibers / drug effects
  • Cholinergic Fibers / metabolism
  • Cholinergic Fibers / pathology
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects
  • Corpus Striatum / metabolism
  • Creatine / pharmacology*
  • Creatine / therapeutic use
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase / drug effects
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase / metabolism
  • Ibotenic Acid / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / chemically induced
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / metabolism
  • Neuroprotective Agents / pharmacology*
  • Neuroprotective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Neurotoxins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Neurotoxins / toxicity
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Survival Rate
  • Time
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Neuroprotective Agents
  • Neurotoxins
  • Ibotenic Acid
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase
  • Creatine
  • Acetylcholine