Investigating the effect of agmatine on cognitive functions

Yıl 2011, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 8 - 16, 31.01.2014

Nimet Bozkurt Tijen Utkan Feyza Arıcıoğlu

Öz

Objective: Learning and memory disorders are associated primary or secondary with many disease which affect the quality of life negatively. In this study, possible effect of agmatine on cognitive functions have been investigated.
Methods: Agmatine was applied after the disruption of cognitive functions by using amnesia or stress models in Wistar Albino rats. Muscarinic cholinergic receptor blocker scopolamine was used to create amnesia. In this model rats have been divided into 3 groups as control, scopolamine and scopolamine+agmatine. Control group has received saline, scopolamine group 1 mg/kg scopolamine, scopolamine+agmatine group 1mg/kg skopolamine and 20 min later 40 mg/kg agmatine intraperitoneally (i.p.). Animals were exposed to immobilization in order to create stress for 14 days, 4 hours per day. In this model, rats were divided into three groups as control, stress and stress+agmatine. After stress exposure saline was administered to control and stress groups and 40 mg/kg agmatine to stress+agmatine group. Animals were taken to Morris water maze and passive avoidance tests to evaluate learning and memory functions 30 min after the last injections.
Results: In our study, it has been shown that agmatine treatment significantly improved learning and memory impairment induced by both scopolamine or stress.
Conclusion: Based on these findings, it is thought that agmatine may have a positive effect on learning and memory functions, and also may play an important role in regulation of cognitive functions as an endogenous substance.

Key words: Agmatine, amnesia, memory, learning, scopolamine

Anahtar Kelimeler

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Agmatinin Kognitif Fonksiyonlara Etkisinin Araştırılması

Öz

Amaç: Öğrenme ve bellek bozuklukları; yaşam kalitesini olumsuz yönde etkileyen birçok hastalıkla primer veya sekonder olarak ilişkilidir. Bu çalışmada; agmatinin kognitif fonksiyonlar üzerine olası etkisi araştırılmıştır.
Yöntem: Sıçanlarda amnezi ve stres modelleri kullanılarak kognitif fonksiyonların bozulması sağlandıktan sonra agmatin uygulanmıştır. Amnezi oluşturmak için kolinerjik muskarinik reseptör blokeri skopolamin kullanılmış, hayvanlar kontrol, skopolamin ve skopolamin+agmatin olmak üzere üç gruba ayrılmıştır. Kontrol grubuna, serum fizyolojik, skopolamin grubuna 1 mg/kg skopolamin, skopolamin+agmatin grubuna 1 mg/kg skopolamin ve 20 dk sonra 40 mg/kg agmatin ntraperitoneal (i.p.) olarak uygulanmıştır. Stres oluşturmak için ise hayvanlar 14 gün süreyle günde 4 saat immobilizasyona maruz bırakılmıştır. Bu modeldeki hayvanlar kontrol, stres ve stres+agmatin olmak üzere üç gruba ayrılmıştır. Stres uygulamasının ardından kontrol ve stres gruplarına, s.f., stres+agmatin grubuna ise 40 mg/kg agmatin uygulanmıştır. Hayvanlar, son enjeksiyondan 30 dk sonra öğrenme ve bellek fonksiyonları değerlendirilmek üzere Morris’in su tankı ve pasif sakınma testlerine alınmıştır.
Bulgular: Çalışmamızda agmatin tedavisinin hem skopolamin,
hem de stres ile bozulmuş kognitif fonksiyonlarda anlamlı bir
düzelme sağladığı gösterilmiştir.
Sonuç: Bu bulgulardan hareketle, agmatinin bozulmuş öğrenme ve bellek fonksiyonlarına olumlu katkılarının olabileceği ve ayrıca endojen bir madde olarak kognitif fonksiyonların düzenlenmesinde önemli rolü olabileceği düşünülmüştür.

Anahtar sözcükler: Agmatin, amnezi, bellek, öğrenme, skopolamin

Anahtar Kelimeler

Agmatin, amnezi, bellek, öğrenme, skopolamin

Kaynakça

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