A possible role of the creatine phosphate-creatine pool in the regulation of the adenylate pool

Abstract

Human lymphoblastoid Raji cells and mouse hybridoma ascites cells incubated with 20 mM creatine showed significant increases in creatine, creatine phosphate and adenine nucleotide levels and in the energy charge. In human erythrocytes in which no variation of the creatine phosphate-creatine pool was observed because of a very low creatine kinase activity, the adenine nucleotide pool and the energy charge were not modified. These observations suggest not only a relationship among the creatine phosphate-creatine pool, the energy charge and the adenylate pool, but also the possibility to increase the energy charge and the adenylate pool in cells with creatine kinase activity by expanding the creatine phosphate-creatine pool.