The effect of creatine on the developed tension and metabolic kinetics of isolated rabbit atria after prolonged cold storage.

During 14 days of cold storage the mechanical and metabolic functions and sarcolemmal enzyme activities were markedly decreased. Creatine significantly suppressed such decrease in oxygen consumption and preserved the ability to reproduce high energy phosphates from low temperature, resulted in recovery of mechanical activity by rewarming. However, cation transport enzymes, Na+, K+- and Ca2+-ATPase, were not affected, These results suggest the protective action of creatine on mammalian myocardium under cold storage.