Creatine Amides: Perspectives for Neuroprotection

Abstract

The neuroprotective activity of creatine amides – amino acid derivatives of creatine – was studied in a model of cerebral ischemia created by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (OMCA) in rats. The neuroprotective effect of treatment with glycine (creatinylglycine ethyl ester acetate), phenylalanine (creatinyl-L-phenylalaninamide acetate), tyrosine (creatinyl-L-tyrosinamide acetate), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (creatinyl-γ-aminobutyric acid ethyl ester acetate) derivatives were studied after administration 1 h before 30-min cerebral ischemia. Brain damage was assessed by staining brain slices with triphenyltetrazolium chloride 48 h after ischemia. As compared with the control group, all the creatine amides studied significantly decreased the sizes of areas of brain damage (p < 0.05). However, the amides of creatine with tyrosine, phenylalanine, and GABA showed marked toxicity after intravenous administration and could only be used intraperitoneally. The amide of creatine and glycine was not toxic on administration of intravenous boluses at a dose of 1 mmol/kg. Conclusions: amides of creatine and amino acids decrease ischemic damage after transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats.