The use of the creatine kinase reaction to determine free energy change of ATP hydrolysis in anoxic cardiomyocytes.

In isolated cardiomyocytes from adult rat heart the free energy change of ATP hydrolysis (dG) was determined under conditions of substrate-free anoxia. Changes of free cytosolic ADP concentrations, needed for the calculation of dG, were determined by two indirect methods since a direct measurement is not feasible: (i) via the mass action ratio of the creatine kinase reaction (CK) assuming near equilibrium conditions, and (ii) via quantification of the net hydrolysis of ATP to ADP by a detailed balancing of possible contribution to Pi production. Both approaches gave virtually identical results, showing that in anoxia only 6% of the ATP hydrolysed are hydrolysed to ADP and 94% completely to adenosine and further degradation products. The convergence of both methods also indicates that in this model the CK reaction is indeed catalysed near its equilibrium. Therefore estimations of free ADP and dG using its mass action ratio are valid. In anoxic cardiomyocytes dG values fell from 57 kJ/mol in normoxia to 42 kJ/mol after 120 min anoxia, corresponding to a decrease of ATP contents from 24 to 4 nmol/mg protein.