Phosphorylcreatine shuttle enzymes during perinatal heart development.

Mammalian heart development, from the time of weaning until adulthood, is characterized by progressive and significant enhancement in functional performance. Aerobic metabolism and contractile protein ATPase activity increase in parallel with augmented cardiac function. The present studies examined the potential contribution of phosphorylcreatine shuttle enzymes to the developmentally linked alterations in heart performance. Mitochondrial ATPase specific activity was not altered between weanling and adult heart; however, creatine kinase activity was enhanced approximately threefold. Myofibrillar ATPase activity doubled over the developmental time course, while creatine kinase activity increased to an even greater extent. Enhanced myofibrillar ATPase activity was not due to alterations in either calcium sensitivity or ATPase activity measured in purified myosin. Both the mitochondrial and myofibrillar creatine kinase enzyme activities are enhanced during normal heart growth; however, relatively greater enhancement of the myofibrillar component occurs. Thus, enzymatic reactions comprising the phosphorylcreatine shuttle system are dramatically increased during normal heart development. This mechanism deserves consideration as a potentially powerful contributor to enhanced cardiac function during the perinatal period.