Creatine– facilitated protection of stress caused by disrupted circadian rhythm

Disturbances in natural Circadian rhythm are well-known stress factors, affecting a range of metabolic pathways in the living body including the brain. Hence, discovery of natural compounds that could help to prevent and cure of adverse changes is very important. One of the recently discussed substances is creatine, that is believed to have anti-stressor properties. Recent paper describes the impact of intraperitoneally injected creatine (140 mg/kg) into rats with a disturbed natural circadian rhythm for an extended period of time (30 days). Markedly, creatine-treated animals show positive changes in open-field behavioral parameters, and an increase in certain antioxidant enzymes’ (SOD, catalase) activity in the hippocampus, whereas the concentration of nitric oxide, H₂ O₂, and Ca²⁺ are approximated to the control value. Similar findings were also observed in case of Na⁺/K⁺- and Ca²⁺-ATPases. To sum up, the recent findings allow the conclusion that oxidative stress induced by long-term disturbances in natural circadian rhythm is accompanied and likely provoked by an increase in Ca²⁺-cytotoxicity, which is supposedly normalized by the creatine’s indirect action on the NMDA receptor. Therefore, impact on energy mediating pathways has a positive effect on stabilization of antioxidant and various metabolic systems and protecting hippocampal cells from stress.