title: Different behavior of agmatine in liver mitochondria: inducer of oxidative stress or scavenger of reactive oxygen species?
abstract: Agmatine, at concentrations of 10 microM or 100 microM, is able to induce oxidative stress in rat liver mitochondria (RLM), as evidenced by increased oxygen uptake, H(2)O(2) generation, and oxidation of sulfhydryl groups and glutathione. One proposal for the production of H(2)O(2) and, most probably, other reactive oxygen species (ROS), is that they are the reaction products of agmatine oxidation by an unknown mitochondrial amine oxidase. Alternatively, by interacting with an iron-sulfur center of the respiratory chain, agmatine can produce an imino radical and subsequently the superoxide anion and other ROS. The observed oxidative stress causes a drop in ATP synthesis and amplification of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) induced by Ca(2+). Instead, 1 mM agmatine generates larger amounts of H(2)O(2) than the lower concentrations, but does not affect RLM respiration or redox levels of thiols and glutathione. Indeed, it maintains the normal level of ATP synthesis and prevents Ca(2+)-induced MPT in the presence of phosphate. The self-scavenging effect against ROS production by agmatine at higher concentrations is also proposed.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Biologica, Università di Padova, Istituto di Neuroscienze del CNR, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colombatto
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Grillo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toninello
mesh_terms: D000376:Agmatine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008933:Mitochondrial Swelling / Q000187:drug effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D000376:Agmatine; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D005978:Glutathione