Creatine as a booster for brain function: some unexplained riddles
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1
The University of New South Wales, Neuroscience Research Australia, Australia
Creatine plays a major role in brain in buffering energy supply, improving mitochondrial efficiency, acting directly as an antioxidant and as a neuroprotectant. While there is much evidence in favour of a role for creatine in boosting brain function, the mechanisms by which it might do this and details of its neurochemistry remain to be better understood. Brain makes its own creatine, exchanging the compound and its precursors between cells which may have only some, or none of the synthetic enzymes required. While cellular uptake of creatine is well understood with an identified sodium-dependent transporter, release of creatine may occur via a number of candidate transporters, with a a likely “slow leak” of creatine from the brain. Additionally, creatine boosts brain metabolism, possibly via neurotransmitter receptors, but also possibly via direct stimulation of mitochondria. Creatine boosts metabolism of [3-13C] pyruvate in Guinea pig brain cortical tissue slices increasing total metabolite pool sizes at 0.5 mM and increasing net flux of 13C into the Krebs cycle at 5.0 mM. Principal component analysis of the metabolic profiles generated, suggest that creatine induces a pattern of activation of brain metabolism not dissimilar to ketamine, exogenous glutamate and spermidine, suggestive of activity via NMDA receptors, possibly at the polyamine site. Creatine has been trialed as a supplement in a number of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders with mixed success. An understanding of the mechanisms by which creatine might increase brain energy, reserves or boost mitochondrial function, will aid in targeting such trials better to the specific stages of disease, where efficacy of the creatine towards increasing brain function is clear.
Keywords:
Creatine,
Ketamine,
antioxidant,
Neuroprotectant,
brain booster
Conference:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 27 Aug - 30 Aug, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Symposium 5: Boosting Brain Function with Nutraceuticals: What is the Evidence and how might they Work
Topic:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry
Citation:
Rae
C
(2016). Creatine as a booster for brain function: some unexplained riddles.
Conference Abstract:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2016.36.00022
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Received:
26 Jul 2016;
Published Online:
11 Aug 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Caroline Rae, The University of New South Wales, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia, c.rae@unsw.edu.au