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Rafi H, Rafiq H, Farhan M. Pharmacological profile of agmatine: An in-depth overview. Neuropeptides 2024; 105:102429. [PMID: 38608401 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2024.102429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Agmatine, a naturally occurring polyamine derived from arginine via arginine decarboxylase, has been shown to play multifaceted roles in the mammalian body, impacting a wide range of physiological and pathological processes. This comprehensive review delineates the significant insights into agmatine's pharmacological profile, emphasizing its structure and metabolism, neurotransmission and regulation, and pharmacokinetics and function. Agmatine's biosynthesis is highly conserved across species, highlighting its fundamental role in cellular functions. In the brain, comparable to established neurotransmitters, agmatine acts as a neuromodulator, influencing the regulation, metabolism, and reabsorption of neurotransmitters that are key to mood disorders, learning, cognition, and the management of anxiety and depression. Beyond its neuromodulatory functions, agmatine exhibits protective effects across various cellular and systemic contexts, including neuroprotection, nephroprotection, cardioprotection, and cytoprotection, suggesting a broad therapeutic potential. The review explores agmatine's interaction with multiple receptor systems, including NMDA, α2-adrenoceptors, and imidazoline receptors, elucidating its role in enhancing cell viability, neuronal protection, and synaptic plasticity. Such interactions underpin agmatine's potential in treating neurological diseases and mood disorders, among other conditions. Furthermore, agmatine's pharmacokinetics, including its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, are discussed, underlining the complexity of its action and the potential for therapeutic application. The safety and efficacy of agmatine supplementation, demonstrated through various animal and human studies, affirm its potential as a beneficial therapeutic agent. Conclusively, the diverse physiological and therapeutic effects of agmatine, spanning neurotransmission, protection against cellular damage, and modulation of various receptor pathways, position it as a promising candidate for further research and clinical application. This review underscores the imperative for continued exploration into agmatine's mechanisms of action and its potential in pharmacology and medicine, promising advances in the treatment of numerous conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hira Rafi
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Hamna Rafiq
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Pakistan
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Katariya R, Mishra K, Sammeta S, Umekar M, Kotagale N, Taksande B. Agmatine mitigates behavioral abnormalities and neurochemical dysregulation associated with 3-Nitropropionic acid-induced Huntington's disease in rats. Neurotoxicology 2024; 102:12-28. [PMID: 38453033 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by a severe motor incoordination, cognitive decline, and psychiatric complications. However, a definitive cure for this devastating disorder remains elusive. Agmatine, a biogenic amine, has gain attention for its reported neuromodulatory and neuroprotective properties. The present study was designed to examine the influence of agmatine on the behavioral, biochemical, and molecular aspects of HD in an animal model. A mitochondrial toxin, 3-nitro propionic acid (3-NP), was used to induce HD phenotype and similar symptoms such as motor incoordination, memory impairment, neuro-inflammation, and depressive-like behavior in rats. Rats were pre-treated with 3-NP (10 mg/kg, i.p.) on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 and then continued on agmatine treatment (5 - 20 µg/rat, i.c.v.) from day-8 to day-27 of the treatment protocol. 3-NP-induced cognitive impairment was associated with declined in agmatine levels within prefrontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus. Further, the 3-NP-treated rats showed an increase in IL-6 and TNF-α and a reduction in BDNF immunocontent within these brain areas. Agmatine treatment not only improved the 3-NP-induced motor incoordination, depression-like behavior, rota-rod performance, and learning and memory impairment but also normalized the GABA/glutamate, BDNF, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in discrete brain areas. Similarly, various agmatine modulators, which increase the endogenous agmatine levels in the brain, such as L-arginine (biosynthetic precursor), aminoguanidine (diamine oxidase inhibitor), and arcaine (agmatinase inhibitor) also demonstrated similar effects exhibiting the importance of endogenous agmatinergic pathway in the pathogenesis of 3-NP-induced HD like symptoms. The present study proposed the possible role of agmatine in the pathogenesis and treatment of HD associated motor incoordination, and psychiatric and cognitive complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj Katariya
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S. 441 002, India
| | - Kartikey Mishra
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S. 441 002, India
| | - Shivkumar Sammeta
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S. 441 002, India
| | - Milind Umekar
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S. 441 002, India
| | - Nandkishor Kotagale
- Government College of Pharmacy, Kathora Naka, VMV Road, Amravati, M.S. 444604, India
| | - Brijesh Taksande
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S. 441 002, India.
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Kotagale N, Bhondekar S, Bhad M, Pise S, Charpe A, Umekar M, Taksande B. Agmatine prevents development of tolerance to anti-nociceptive effect of ethanol in mice. Alcohol 2022; 101:1-8. [PMID: 35227825 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Drug tolerance is directly correlated with drug abuse and physical dependence. The development of tolerance is manifested as the decline in pharmacological responses of drugs following repeated administration of the constant dose. The present study evaluated the effect of agmatine in ethanol-induced anti-nociception and tolerance in the tail-flick assay in mice. In an acute protocol, ethanol (1 and 2 g/kg, i.p. [intraperitoneally]) and agmatine (20 and 40 μg/mouse, i.c.v. [intracerebroventricularly]) produced significant analgesic effects in mice, as was evident from the increased baseline tail-flick latency when tested 20 minutes after their administration. Agmatine in a per se non-effective dose (5 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), L-arginine (40 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), and arcaine (25 μg/mouse, i.c.v.) significantly potentiated the anti-nociceptive effect of ethanol. Blood ethanol analysis showed no significant differences in blood ethanol concentration between ethanol/saline- and ethanol/agmatine-treated mice, suggesting that the effects of agmatine were not due to any possible effects on the pharmacokinetics of ethanol. In a separate study, mice were injected with ethanol (2 g/kg, i.p., 12%) or saline (1 mL/kg, i.p.) once daily for 9 days. On days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of the experiment, they were subjected to the tail-flick test. Agmatine (5-20 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), L-arginine (40 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), arcaine (25 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), aCSF (2 μL/mouse, i.c.v.), or saline (1 mL/kg, i.p.) was administered daily prior to the first daily ethanol or saline injections, and reaction latencies were determined in the tail-flick assay. Injections of agmatine, L-arginine, and arcaine prevented the development of tolerance to ethanol-induced analgesia. Given that agmatine and its endogenous modulation can prevent tolerance to the anti-nociceptive effects of ethanol, these data suggest it as a possible new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of alcohol use disorder and associated complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandkishor Kotagale
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India; Government College of Pharmacy, Kathora Naka, VMV Road, Amravati, 444604, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shraddha Bhondekar
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India
| | - Mrunalini Bhad
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India
| | - Shailesh Pise
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India
| | - Ashwini Charpe
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India
| | - Milind Umekar
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India
| | - Brijesh Taksande
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Shrimati Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441 002, India.
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Şorodoc V, Rusu-Zota G, Nechita P, Moraru C, Manole OM. Effects of imidazoline agents in a rat conditioned place preference model of addiction. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2022; 395:365-376. [PMID: 34997272 PMCID: PMC8816376 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-021-02194-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Agmatine (AG), idazoxan (IDZ), and efaroxan (EFR) are imidazoline receptor ligands with beneficial effects in central nervous system disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate the interaction between AG, IDZ, and EFR with an opiate, tramadol (TR), in a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. In the experiment, we used five groups with 8 adult male Wistar rats each. During the condition session, on days 2, 4, 6, and 8, the rats received the drugs (saline, or TR, or IDZ and TR, or EFR and TR, or AG and TR) and were placed in their least preferred compartment. On days 1, 3, 5, and 7, the rats received saline in the preferred compartment. In the preconditioning, the preferred compartment was determined. In the postconditioning, the preference for one of the compartments was reevaluated. TR increased the time spent in the non-preferred compartment. AG decreased time spent in the TR-paired compartment. EFR, more than IDZ, reduced the time spent in the TR-paired compartment, but without statistical significance. AG reversed the TR-induced CPP, while EFR and IDZ only decreased the time spent in the TR-paired compartment, without statistical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Şorodoc
- Department of Internal Medicine (Toxicology), University of Medicine and Pharmacy, "Grigore T. Popa", 700115, Iasi, Romania
| | - G Rusu-Zota
- Department of Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology and Algesiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, "Grigore T. Popa", 700115, Iasi, Romania.
| | - P Nechita
- "Socola" Psychiatric Institute, 700282, Iasi, Romania
| | - C Moraru
- "Socola" Psychiatric Institute, 700282, Iasi, Romania
| | - O M Manole
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy, "Grigore T. Popa", 700115, Iasi, Romania
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Rahangdale S, Fating R, Gajbhiye M, Kapse M, Inamdar N, Kotagale N, Umekar M, Taksande B. Involvement of agmatine in antidepressant-like effect of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 892:173739. [PMID: 33220274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-co-enzyme-A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) are popularly used for the treatment of obesity and hypercholesterolemia with established safety profile. Statins exhibits a wide range of neurobehavioral effects in addition to their peripheral actions, and may be beneficial in treatment of psychiatric conditions. Present study investigated the role of agmatine and imidazoline receptors in antidepressant-like effect of statins in mouse forced swimming test (FST). The antidepressant-like effect of atorvastatin (5 mg/kg, p.o.) and simvastatin (10 mg/kg, p.o.) was potentiated by pretreatment with agmatine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) as well as the drugs known to increase endogenous agmatine levels in brain viz., L-arginine (40 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), an agmatine biosynthetic precursor; arcaine (50 μg/mouse, i.c.v), agmatinase inhibitor; and aminoguanidine (6.5 μg/mouse, i.c.v.), a diamine oxidase inhibitor. Further, both the statins increased agmatine levels within hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Conversely, prior administration of I1 receptor antagonist, efaroxan (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and I2 receptor antagonist, idazoxan (0.25 mg/kg, i.p.) blocked the antidepressant-like effect of statins and their synergistic combination with agmatine. These results demonstrate the involvement of agmatine and imidazoline receptors in antidepressant-like effect of statins and suggest as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of depressive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandip Rahangdale
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India
| | - Rajshree Fating
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India
| | - Mona Gajbhiye
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India
| | - Mona Kapse
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India
| | - Nazma Inamdar
- Government College of Pharmacy, Kathora Naka, VMV Road, Amravati, M.S, 444604, India
| | - Nandkishor Kotagale
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India; Government College of Pharmacy, Kathora Naka, VMV Road, Amravati, M.S, 444604, India
| | - Milind Umekar
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India
| | - Brijesh Taksande
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, New Kamptee, Nagpur, M.S, 441 002, India.
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Kale M, Nimje N, Aglawe MM, Umekar M, Taksande B, Kotagale N. Agmatine modulates anxiety and depression-like behaviour in diabetic insulin-resistant rats. Brain Res 2020; 1747:147045. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Kotagale N, Dixit M, Garmelwar H, Bhondekar S, Umekar M, Taksande B. Agmatine reverses memory deficits induced by Aβ1–42 peptide in mice: A key role of imidazoline receptors. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 196:172976. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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