Phosphocreatine plays an important role in the energy mechanism of muscle contraction. It is a reserve of energy in the cells of the myocardium and skeletal muscles and is used for the re-synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), in the hydrolysis of which energy is released to provide the process of contraction of actomyosin. Insufficient energy intake into cardiomyocytes, associated with the slowing down of oxidative processes, is a key mechanism for the development and progression of myocardial damage. Lack of phosphocreatine leads to a decrease in the strength of myocardial contraction and its ability to functional recovery.With myocardial damage, there is a close correlation between the amount of energy-rich phosphorylated compounds in cells, the viability of cells and their ability to restore contractility.
Preclinical and clinical studies made it possible to demonstrate the cardioprotective effect of phosphocreatine, which manifests itself in a dose-dependent positive effect with toxic effects on the myocardium of isoprenaline, thyroxine, emetin, p-nitrophenol; in a positive inotropic effect with a deficiency of glucose, calcium ions or overdose of potassium ions; in reducing the negative inotropic action due to anoxia.
In addition, the addition of phosphocreatine to cardioplegic solutions at a concentration of 10 mmol / l improves the cardioprotective effect:
- the risk of myocardial ischemia in cardiopulmonary by-pass bypass is reduced;
- the risk of developing reperfusion arrhythmia is reduced by infusion until the development of experimental regional ischemia as a result of superposition of the ligature on the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery for 15 min;
- reduces the degradation of ATP and phosphocreatine in myocardial cells, preserves the structure of mitochondria and sarcolemma, improves the functional recovery of myocardium after cardiac arrest caused by the administration of a large dose of potassium, and reduces the frequency of reperfusion arrhythmia.
Phosphocreatine has a cardioprotective effect in the experiment with myocardial infarction and arrhythmia caused by occlusion of the coronary artery: it preserves the cellular pool of adenine nucleotides by inhibiting enzymes that cause their catabolism, suppresses phospholipid degradation, possibly improves microcirculation in the ischemic zone, which is due to suppression of adenosinediphosphoric acid mediated platelet aggregation , stabilizes hemodynamic parameters, prevents a sharp decline in the functional parameters of the heart a, has antiarrhythmic effect, reduces the frequency and duration of ventricular fibrillation and limits the area of ​​myocardial infarction.