Ribose in the heart.

Every cell needs energy, i.e., adenosine triphosphate (ATP), to carry out its function. Decreased oxygen levels, decreased blood flow, and other stressful conditions can drastically effect the intracellular concentrations of these energy compounds. Skeletal muscle, unlike the heart, can address this drop in ATP by employing the myokinase reaction, ultimately producing ATP with a subsequent elevation in adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Ribose, a naturally occurring 5-carbon monosaccharide, is a key component of RNA, DNA (which has deoxyribose), acetyl coenzyme A, and ATP. Each cell produces its own ribose, involved in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), to aid in ATP production. States of ischemia and/or hypoxia can severely lower levels of cellular energy compounds in the heart, with an associated compromise in cellular processes, ultimately reflected in altered function. Ribose appears to provide a solution to the problem in replenishing the depressed ATP levels and improving functional status of patients afflicted with cardiovascular diseases.