title: Agmatine prevents LPS-induced spatial memory impairment and hippocampal apoptosis.
abstract: Neuroinflammation is associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases. It is known that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment induces neuroinflammation and memory deterioration. Agmatine, the metabolite of arginine by arginine decarboxylase, is suggested to be a neuroprotective agent. The aim of this study was to explore if agmatine can prevent LPS-induced spatial memory impairment and hippocampal apoptosis. Adult male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were trained in water maze for 4 days (3 days in hidden platform and the last day in visible platform task). Saline, LPS (250 microg/kg/ip) or (and) agmatine (5 or 10 mg/kg) were administered 4h before every training session. LPS treatment impaired water maze place learning while agmatine co-administration prevented it. Also western blot studies revealed that LPS induces hippocampal caspase-3 activation while agmatine treatment prevented it.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center and department of Physiology, Shiraz University of Medical sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Asadollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zarifkar
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choopani
authors.forename: Rasoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naghdi
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Maghsoudi
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maghsoudi
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rastegar
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moosavi
mesh_terms: D000376:Agmatine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D000376:Agmatine