The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women

Background There is evidence that the smooth muscle layer of the uterus, the myometrium, uses creatine to support energy turnover in pregnancy and labour. Our study examined the effects of creatine supplementation on ex vivo myometrial contractility, hypothesising that it enhances spontaneous contra...

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Main Authors: Alexus J. Brown, Jeff Reese, Jennifer L. Herington, Stacey J. Ellery
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-09-01
Series:Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15502783.2025.2533675
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author Alexus J. Brown
Jeff Reese
Jennifer L. Herington
Stacey J. Ellery
author_facet Alexus J. Brown
Jeff Reese
Jennifer L. Herington
Stacey J. Ellery
author_sort Alexus J. Brown
collection DOAJ
description Background There is evidence that the smooth muscle layer of the uterus, the myometrium, uses creatine to support energy turnover in pregnancy and labour. Our study examined the effects of creatine supplementation on ex vivo myometrial contractility, hypothesising that it enhances spontaneous contractility and reduces fatigue in spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractions.Methods Human myometrial tissue was collected from consenting patients at the time of cesarean deliveries at term gestation (> 37 weeks). Strips (1cm x 0.5cm x 1cm) were incubated overnight in oxygenated Krebs bicarbonate buffer (KBB) ± 5mM creatine and placed under 3g of tension in organ baths (37°C, 95%O2, 5%CO2) containing fresh KBB ± creatine and allowed to develop spontaneous contractions. Murine myometrial strips were obtained at term gestation (day 19), placed under 1g tension in organ baths, and allowed to establish rhythmic contractions. Strips were treated with 5mM of creatine for 3 hours or cumulative additive concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5mM) every 30 minutes. After 3 hours of spontaneous contractions, human and murine samples received 1nM of oxytocin and contracted for an additional 2 hours. Contractile activity was recorded with amplitude, frequency, and area under the curve (AUC) analyzed. All time-course (1, 2, 3 hrs) and oxytocin treatment data were expressed as a percent change from baseline spontaneous contractile activity at 40 minutes and compared using a 2-way ANOVA.Results There were no statistically significant differences between spontaneous contractility over time (-51% vs -51%, human; 5% vs -25%, mouse) in myometrium supplemented with creatine or vehicle, respectively. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences in oxytocin-induced contractility at 0hr (108% vs 156%, human; 83% vs 110%, mouse) or 2hrs (-16% vs -21%, human) -19% vs -21%, mouse) between myometrium supplemented with creatine or vehicle, respectively.Conclusions Creatine treatment did not affect human or murine ex vivo myometrial contractility.
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spelling doaj-art-06a85efde0814c24bcb45a9a37e241402025-08-20T03:27:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition1550-27832025-09-0122sup110.1080/15502783.2025.2533675The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and womenAlexus J. Brown0Jeff Reese1Jennifer L. Herington2Stacey J. Ellery3Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN, USAVanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN, USAVanderbilt University Medical Center, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nashville, TN, USAThe Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, AustraliaBackground There is evidence that the smooth muscle layer of the uterus, the myometrium, uses creatine to support energy turnover in pregnancy and labour. Our study examined the effects of creatine supplementation on ex vivo myometrial contractility, hypothesising that it enhances spontaneous contractility and reduces fatigue in spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractions.Methods Human myometrial tissue was collected from consenting patients at the time of cesarean deliveries at term gestation (> 37 weeks). Strips (1cm x 0.5cm x 1cm) were incubated overnight in oxygenated Krebs bicarbonate buffer (KBB) ± 5mM creatine and placed under 3g of tension in organ baths (37°C, 95%O2, 5%CO2) containing fresh KBB ± creatine and allowed to develop spontaneous contractions. Murine myometrial strips were obtained at term gestation (day 19), placed under 1g tension in organ baths, and allowed to establish rhythmic contractions. Strips were treated with 5mM of creatine for 3 hours or cumulative additive concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5mM) every 30 minutes. After 3 hours of spontaneous contractions, human and murine samples received 1nM of oxytocin and contracted for an additional 2 hours. Contractile activity was recorded with amplitude, frequency, and area under the curve (AUC) analyzed. All time-course (1, 2, 3 hrs) and oxytocin treatment data were expressed as a percent change from baseline spontaneous contractile activity at 40 minutes and compared using a 2-way ANOVA.Results There were no statistically significant differences between spontaneous contractility over time (-51% vs -51%, human; 5% vs -25%, mouse) in myometrium supplemented with creatine or vehicle, respectively. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences in oxytocin-induced contractility at 0hr (108% vs 156%, human; 83% vs 110%, mouse) or 2hrs (-16% vs -21%, human) -19% vs -21%, mouse) between myometrium supplemented with creatine or vehicle, respectively.Conclusions Creatine treatment did not affect human or murine ex vivo myometrial contractility.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15502783.2025.2533675Creatinemyometriummuscle contractionoxytocinpregnancyorgan culture techniques
spellingShingle Alexus J. Brown
Jeff Reese
Jennifer L. Herington
Stacey J. Ellery
The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Creatine
myometrium
muscle contraction
oxytocin
pregnancy
organ culture techniques
title The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
title_full The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
title_fullStr The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
title_full_unstemmed The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
title_short The effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
title_sort effect of creatine on the ex vivo contractility of myometrial tissue derived from term pregnant mice and women
topic Creatine
myometrium
muscle contraction
oxytocin
pregnancy
organ culture techniques
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15502783.2025.2533675
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