title: Neuroprotective effects of agmatine on oxygen-glucose deprived primary-cultured astrocytes and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B.
abstract: To better understand the neuroprotective actions of agmatine in ischemic insults, its effects on astrocytes were investigated using an in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model. After primary culture, cortical astrocytes were moved into a closed anaerobic chamber and incubated in glucose-free culture media. 4 h later, the cells were restored to normoxic conditions and supplied with glucose for 20 h. The ability of agmatine to rescue astrocytes from OGD only and OGD followed by restoration (OGD-R) was assessed. Cell viability was monitored with or without 100 muM agmatine, using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay and annexin V flow cytometric assay. For morphological analysis, Hoechst 33258 and propidium iodide double nuclear staining was performed. Expression and phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) family proteins were also investigated by immunoblotting. Results showed that astrocytes had decreased viability following OGD and OGD-R and that agmatine treatment increased cell viability and induced NF-kappaB translocation into the nucleus. Finally, our studies revealed that agmatine can rescue astrocytes from death caused by ischemic and/or ischemic-perfusion neuronal injuries in vitro. Our findings provide new insights that may lead to a novel therapeutic strategy to reduce these kinds of neuronal injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won Taek
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Samin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Sung Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jae Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Gong Je
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: Jong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects*; D000376:Agmatine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017304:Annexin A5 / Q000378:metabolism; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006690:Bisbenzimidazole; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005947:Glucose / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011419:Propidium
chemical_list: D017304:Annexin A5; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011419:Propidium; D000376:Agmatine; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005947:Glucose; D006690:Bisbenzimidazole