Intranasal creatine administration increases brain creatine level and improves Barnes maze performance in rats

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Skeletal muscle creatine is enhanced by supplementation, but brain creatine elevation is limited by the blood-brain barrier.
• Oral creatine delivery struggles to cross the blood-brain barrier effectively.
• Intranasal administration offers a direct pathway to the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of intranasal creatine administration on brain creatine levels.
• To assess the effect of intranasal creatine on cognitive performance in rats.

Main Methods:

• Rats were divided into three groups: intranasal creatine, oral creatine, and control.
• Cognitive performance was measured using the Barnes maze (acquisition and probe trials).
• Brain creatine concentrations were measured biochemically in specific brain regions.

Main Results:

• The intranasal group showed fewer errors and shorter latency in the Barnes maze acquisition phase compared to control and oral groups.
• Intranasal administration led to a higher percentage of time spent in the target quadrant during the probe trial versus the control group.
• Creatine concentrations were significantly higher in the olfactory bulbs, medial prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus of the intranasal group compared to oral and control groups.

Conclusions:

• Intranasal administration of creatine hydrochloride effectively increases brain creatine levels in rats.
• This delivery method improves cognitive performance in tasks assessing spatial learning and memory.
• Intranasal creatine is a viable strategy for enhancing brain creatine levels and cognitive function.