Topic: agmatine

It was previously reported that the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor agmatine had anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects in rodents (Aglawe et al Brain Res Bull 167:37, 2021). Since serotonergic (5-HT) neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), expressing NOS, had lower excitability than the non-NOS expressing ones (Gartside et al Eur J Neurosci 51:1881, 2020), the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of agmatine might involve stimulation of 5-HT neurons of the DRN. The present study aimed to examine this hypothesis. Acute and chronic effects of agmatine were tested. In acute ex

Microglia activation is a metabolically demanding process that implies the transition to a pro- or anti-inflammatory phenotype. During inflammation, microglia undergo metabolic reprogramming to meet their energy needs. Thus, the pro-inflammatory phenotype derives its energy mainly from aerobic glycolysis, whereas the anti-inflammatory phenotype depends on oxidative phosphorylation. The modulation of metabolic pathways in activated microglia could change their phenotype. Exogenously administered agmatine pretreatment (Agm, 100 µM) modulates the Lps-activated BV-2 microglial cell line towards an

Microglia are metabolically flexible cells able to respond to environmental changes by reprogramming their intracellular metabolic pathway subsequently altering immune function. Exposure to inflammatory stimuli increases microglial reliance on aerobic glycolysis, a key metabolic adaptation required for their pro-inflammatory activation. There is evidence that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activates hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) via its target mTOR, and HIF-1α is known for its regulatory function in metabolism and immunity. Therefore, we investigated agmatine (Agm) as a potential modula