The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
Nutrients. 2021 Feb 2;13(2):490. doi: 10.3390/nu13020490.
Creatine metabolism is an important component of cellular energy homeostasis. Via the creatine kinase circuit, creatine derived from our diet or synthesized endogenously provides spatial and temporal maintenance of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production; this is particularly important for cells with high or fluctuating energy demands. The use of this circuit by tissues within the female reproductive system, as well as the placenta and the developing fetus during pregnancy is apparent throughout the literature, with some studies linking perturbations in creatine metabolism to reduced fertility and poor pregnancy outcomes. Maternal dietary creatine supplementation during pregnancy as a safeguard against hypoxia-induced perinatal injury, particularly that of the brain, has also been widely studied in pre-clinical in vitro and small animal models. However, there is still no consensus on whether creatine is essential for successful reproduction. This review consolidates the available literature on creatine metabolism in female reproduction, pregnancy and the early neonatal period. Creatine metabolism is discussed in relation to cellular bioenergetics and de novo synthesis, as well as the potential to use dietary creatine in a reproductive setting. We highlight the apparent knowledge gaps and the research "road forward" to understand, and then utilize, creatine to improve reproductive health and perinatal outcomes.
肌酸代谢是细胞能量平衡的一个重要组成部分。通过肌酸激酶循环，饮食中或内源性合成的肌酸为细胞内三磷酸腺苷（ATP）的产生提供了时空上的维持；这对于能量需求高或波动大的细胞尤为重要。女性生殖系统内的组织、胎盘和妊娠期间的胎儿都明显利用了这一循环，一些研究将肌酸代谢的紊乱与生育力下降和不良妊娠结局联系起来。在临床前的体外和小动物模型中，也广泛研究了母亲在怀孕期间补充膳食肌酸作为预防缺氧引起的围产期损伤（特别是大脑损伤）的一种手段。然而，关于肌酸是否对成功繁殖是必需的，目前仍没有共识。这篇综述整合了女性生殖、妊娠和新生儿早期肌酸代谢的现有文献。讨论了肌酸代谢与细胞生物能量学和从头合成的关系，以及在生殖环境中使用膳食肌酸的潜力。我们强调了明显的知识空白和研究“前进道路”，以了解和利用肌酸来改善生殖健康和围产期结局。
