Accelerated functional recovery and neuroprotection by agmatine after spinal cord ischemia in rats

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2000-12, Vol.296 (2), p.97-100
• Main Authors: Gilad, Gad M, Gilad, Varda H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agmatine; Agmatine - pharmacology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cell Survival - physiology; Decarboxylated arginine; Male; Medical sciences; Motoneurons; Motor Activity - drug effects; Motor Activity - physiology; Motor Neurons - drug effects; Motor Neurons - pathology; Nerve Degeneration - drug therapy; Nerve Degeneration - pathology; Nerve Degeneration - physiopathology; Neuropharmacology; Neuroprotective agent; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neuroprotective treatment; Neurotrauma; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rat model; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Recovery of Function - drug effects; Recovery of Function - physiology; Spinal Cord - drug effects; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal Cord - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Ischemia - drug therapy; Spinal Cord Ischemia - pathology; Spinal Cord Ischemia - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Ischemia - prevention & control; Transient ischemia
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(00)01625-6

Treatment with agmatine, decarboxylated arginine, proved to be non-toxic and to exert neuroprotective effects in several models of neurotoxic and ischemic brain and spinal cord injuries. Here we sought to find out whether agmatine treatment would also prove beneficial in a rat spinal cord ischemia model (balloon occlusion of the abdominal aorta bellow the branching point of the left subclavian artery for 5 min). Agmatine was injected (100 mg/kg, i.p.) 5 min after beginning of re-perfusion and again once daily for the next 3 post-operative days. Motor performance (‘combined motor score’) was recorded for up to 17 days post-operative and motoneuron cell counts (in representative spinal cord sections) performed on the 17th post-operative day. Agmatine treatment was found to accelerate recovery of motor deficits and to prevent the loss of motoneurons in the spinal cord after transient ischemia. Together, the present and previous findings demonstrate that agmatine is an efficacious neuroprotective agent and that this naturally occurring non-toxic compound should be tried for therapeutic use after neurotrauma and in neurodegenerative diseases.