The effects of subchronic agmatine on passive avoidance memory, anxiety-like behavior and hippocampal Akt/GSK-3ß in mice.
Behav Pharmacol
; 33(1): 42-50, 2022 02 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34954711
ABSTRACT
Agmatine, a polyamine derived from l-arginine, has been suggested to modulate memory. However, the available evidence regarding the effect of agmatine on the memory of intact animals is contradictory. This study aimed to assess the dose-response effect of subchronic agmatine on passive avoidance memory and anxiety-like parameters of elevated plus maze in adult intact mice. Furthermore, considering the roles of Akt/GSK-3ß signaling pathway in memory and Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampal contents of phosphorylated and total forms of Akt and GSK-3ß proteins were determined using the western blot technique. Agmatine was administered intraperitoneally at the doses of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 80 mg/kg/daily to adult male NMRI mice for 10 days after which the behavioral assessments were performed. Upon completion of the passive avoidance test, the hippocampi were removed for western blot analysis to detect the phosphorylated and total levels of Akt and GSK-3ß proteins. Results showed the biphasic effect of agmatine on passive avoidance memory; in lower doses (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg), agmatine impaired memory whereas in higher ones (40 and 80 mg/kg) improved it. Though, agmatine in none of the doses affected animals' anxiety-like parameters in an elevated plus maze. Moreover, the memory-improving doses of agmatine augmented Akt/GSK-3ß pathway. This study showed the biphasic effect of agmatine on passive avoidance memory and an augmentation of hippocampal Akt/GSK-3ß signaling pathway following the memory-improving doses of this polyamine.
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Avoidance Learning
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Agmatine
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
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Alzheimer Disease
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Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
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Memory
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Year:
2022
Type:
Article