Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
5th International Congress on Psychopharmacology & Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology / Psychotherapy (ICP 2024), Antalya, Türkiye, 22 - 25 Nisan 2024, ss.79
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Agmatine, synthesized as a result of the decarboxylation of l-arginine by
arginine decarboxylase, is an endogenous polyamine. Agmatine as a neuromodulator of the central nervous
system; G proteins interact with many molecular targets such as protein kinases, GABAergic receptors,
glutamatergic receptors, imidazoline receptors, alpha2-adrenergic receptors, voltage-gated calcium channels
and nitric oxide synthase. Agmatine, which shows its biological effects in the central nervous system by
interacting with specific receptors and neuronal pathways, has shown neuroprotective, anti-
neuroinflammatory and memory modulating effects in cellular and animal models of central nervous system
disorders. However, the effects of agmatine on learning-memory and social interaction of healthy animals
are unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic agmatine administration on rats' visual spatial
learning and memory, as well as their effects on social interaction.
METHODS: 10-week-old rats were used in our study, and the rats were randomly divided into four groups
(n = 8 for each group): Saline, Agmatine (40 mg/kg), Agmatine (80 mg/kg) and Agmatine (120 mg/kg). All
treatments were administered daily intraperitoneally for twenty eight days. Behavioral experiments were
performed from the twenty-first day of treatments. Novel object recognition test was used to test visual
learning and memory in rats, Y-maze test was used to test spatial learning and memory, and social interaction
test was performed to test social interaction.
RESULTS: Agmatine (40 mg/kg) and Agmatine (80 mg/kg) increased visual learning and memory, spatial
learning and memory, and social interaction in rats compared to the control group. Agmatine (120 mg/kg)
impaired visual learning and memory, as well as spatial learning and memory, in rats compared to the control
group. Agmatine (120 mg/kg) did not alter social interaction in rats.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that sub-chronic agmatine administration in healthy rats can increase
learning and memory in a dose-dependent manner. It has also been shown that sub-chronic agmatine
administration increases social interaction in healthy rats. While these effects of agmatine can be attributed
to its being a multimodal neuromodulator, further studies are needed to elucidate its mechanism of action.