Phosphocreatine: Molecular and cellular aspects of the mechanism of cardioprotective action
1993; Elsevier BV; Volume: 53; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0011-393x(05)80663-0
ISSN1879-0313
Autores Tópico(s)Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
ResumoDespite significant progress in molecular and cellular cardiology and in clinical investigations of myocardial infarction, protection of ischemic myocardium remains a serious problem. Improvement of methods of protecting the heart is especially important in thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction (and the possible reperfusion damage caused by this procedure), 1-5 cardiac surgery for intraoperative protection of the myocardium, and heart transplantations (in which the donor's heart must be protected). 6 A promising development in this area is the metabolic protection afforded by using natural compounds to minimize the possible side effects of drug treatment. Exogenous phosphocreatine* is one such natural protective agent that is well suited for this purpose. Phosphocreatine was discovered by Eggleton and Eggleton in 1927, even before adenosine triphosphate (ATP). 7 It took 50 years of intensive study to correctly understand its physiologic function. It is now generally accepted that the phosphocreatine molecule has at least a dual function in cells with high-energy turnover, that is, those of the heart, skeletal muscle, brain, retina, spermatozoa, and nerve endings, sl l The phosphocreatine content of cells is high, ranging from 2 to 30 mmol, 12'13 and one of its dual functions is its conventional energy (ATP) buffering role. 14 The second and more important role of phosphocreatine is its function as an intracellular energy carrier, s-ll Thus this simple molecule with the following structure:
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