Tudies in relevant animal models are missing. Further evidence suggests synergy when ribose treatment is combined with creatine. This combination was shown to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in an in vitro model of ischaemia that was not observed for either agent alone [22]. Recently, we have shown that mice with elevated myocardial creatine are protected from ischaemia-reperfusion injury, but not from chronic heart failure [23]. Notably, this latter result was predicted by an in silico study, that went on to hypothesise that a concomitant increase in TAN pool, total exchangeable phosphates (TEP) and creatine levels was necessary to maintain chemical energy in the failing heart [24]. The aim of our study was therefore to test this hypothesis and determine whether a concomitant increase in myocardial creatine and ribose levels would have a beneficial effect on cardiac function and LV remodelling in chronically infarcted 16574785 mouse hearts.containing entire left and right ventricles (including scar tissue) using HPLC as previously described [26].Pilot Study 2: Bioavailabilty of Ribose in Drinking WaterA 10 (w/v) solution of D-ribose (Sigma-Aldrich) in drinking water was chosen based on the oral dose for human patients and rats (0.15?.8 g/kg/d) [10,11,18,21], and was shown not to affect water and food intake. Five healthy C57BL/6J mice were 370-86-5 web treated for 7 weeks, at which time cardiac function was measured by left ventricular Alprenolol catheterisation and compared to control non-treated mice. Animals were killed by cervical dislocation and the heart freeze-clamped for measurement of myocardial ribose-5-phosphate content (Ribose-5-P). Tissue was pulverized into fine powder and protein extracted with ice-cold 10 trichloracetoacetate acid. Tissue debris was sedimented by centrifuging at 13500 rpm for 5 min, 4uC. Resulting supernatant was neutralized with 1 M NaHCO3. De-proteinised and neutralized LV extract and 32 units GAPDH were mixed with assay mixture [(in mM):162 imidazole pH 7.6, 30 NAD, 18 MgCl2, 15 sodium arsenate, 0.25 erythrose 4-phosphate and 0.03 thiamine pyrophosphate] in a cuvette and incubated for 3 min at 25uC. The first reaction was initiated by addition of 1.25 U of transketolase and absorbance (A1) of NADH followed at 340 nm, 25uC for 10 min. A1 originates from the presence of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and xylulose-5-phosphate in the extract. After the first reaction reached completion, 5 units of ribulose-5-phosphate 3-epimerase and 10 units of phosphoriboisomerase were added to the cuvette. The absorbance (A2) was recorded at 340 nm, 25uC for 10 min. Ribose-5-P content of ventricular tissue was expressed as nmol/g wet tissue weight.Chronic Heart Failure StudyFemale adult mice (21?0 g) were randomly allocated to 4 experimental groups:Materials and Methods Ethics StatementThis study was carried out under Home Office project licence 30/2754, which was approved by the committee for Animal Care and Ethical Review at the University of Oxford, and conforms to UK Home Office Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986. All surgery was performed under full general anaesthesia using isoflurane 23977191 with post-operative opioid analgesia provided as standard.N N N NAnimal HusbandryTransgenic mice over-expressing the creatine transporter (CrTOE) have previously been created in our laboratory and backcrossed to C57BL/6J for more than 10 generations [25]. Two strains were generated exhibiting a wide range of creatine levels fr.Tudies in relevant animal models are missing. Further evidence suggests synergy when ribose treatment is combined with creatine. This combination was shown to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in an in vitro model of ischaemia that was not observed for either agent alone [22]. Recently, we have shown that mice with elevated myocardial creatine are protected from ischaemia-reperfusion injury, but not from chronic heart failure [23]. Notably, this latter result was predicted by an in silico study, that went on to hypothesise that a concomitant increase in TAN pool, total exchangeable phosphates (TEP) and creatine levels was necessary to maintain chemical energy in the failing heart [24]. The aim of our study was therefore to test this hypothesis and determine whether a concomitant increase in myocardial creatine and ribose levels would have a beneficial effect on cardiac function and LV remodelling in chronically infarcted 16574785 mouse hearts.containing entire left and right ventricles (including scar tissue) using HPLC as previously described [26].Pilot Study 2: Bioavailabilty of Ribose in Drinking WaterA 10 (w/v) solution of D-ribose (Sigma-Aldrich) in drinking water was chosen based on the oral dose for human patients and rats (0.15?.8 g/kg/d) [10,11,18,21], and was shown not to affect water and food intake. Five healthy C57BL/6J mice were treated for 7 weeks, at which time cardiac function was measured by left ventricular catheterisation and compared to control non-treated mice. Animals were killed by cervical dislocation and the heart freeze-clamped for measurement of myocardial ribose-5-phosphate content (Ribose-5-P). Tissue was pulverized into fine powder and protein extracted with ice-cold 10 trichloracetoacetate acid. Tissue debris was sedimented by centrifuging at 13500 rpm for 5 min, 4uC. Resulting supernatant was neutralized with 1 M NaHCO3. De-proteinised and neutralized LV extract and 32 units GAPDH were mixed with assay mixture [(in mM):162 imidazole pH 7.6, 30 NAD, 18 MgCl2, 15 sodium arsenate, 0.25 erythrose 4-phosphate and 0.03 thiamine pyrophosphate] in a cuvette and incubated for 3 min at 25uC. The first reaction was initiated by addition of 1.25 U of transketolase and absorbance (A1) of NADH followed at 340 nm, 25uC for 10 min. A1 originates from the presence of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and xylulose-5-phosphate in the extract. After the first reaction reached completion, 5 units of ribulose-5-phosphate 3-epimerase and 10 units of phosphoriboisomerase were added to the cuvette. The absorbance (A2) was recorded at 340 nm, 25uC for 10 min. Ribose-5-P content of ventricular tissue was expressed as nmol/g wet tissue weight.Chronic Heart Failure StudyFemale adult mice (21?0 g) were randomly allocated to 4 experimental groups:Materials and Methods Ethics StatementThis study was carried out under Home Office project licence 30/2754, which was approved by the committee for Animal Care and Ethical Review at the University of Oxford, and conforms to UK Home Office Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986. All surgery was performed under full general anaesthesia using isoflurane 23977191 with post-operative opioid analgesia provided as standard.N N N NAnimal HusbandryTransgenic mice over-expressing the creatine transporter (CrTOE) have previously been created in our laboratory and backcrossed to C57BL/6J for more than 10 generations [25]. Two strains were generated exhibiting a wide range of creatine levels fr.