title: Agmatine--a novel endogenous ligand of imidazoline receptors.
abstract: Agmatine (AGM) is decarboxylated arginine found in bovine brain which binds to imidazoline receptors. It differs substantially from earlier discovered clonidine displacing substance (CDS) and ir-CDS. AGM is synthetized in brain from arginine decarboxylase, and metabolized by diamine oxidase. It is widely and unequally distributed in peripheral tissues and in the brain. AGM interacts with both I-1 and I-2 imidazoline receptors as well as with alpha 2-adrenoreceptors. AGM can regulate cardiovascular functions and can modulate some processes in the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Silesian University School of Medicine, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Z S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Herman
mesh_terms: D000376:Agmatine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D008024:Ligands; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D054755:Imidazoline Receptors; D008024:Ligands; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D000376:Agmatine