Benefit Agmatine Effects in Experimental Multiple Sclerosis. CNS Nitrosative and Oxidative Stress Suppression / Protektivni Efekti Agmatina U Eksperimentalnoj Multiploj Sklerozi. Supresija Nitrozativnog I Oksidativnog Stresa U CNS-U

Abstract

Summary The aim of this study was to investigate the exogenous agmatine influence on nitrosative and oxidative stress parameters in acute phase of multiple sclerosis (MS) experimental model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). EAE was induced by subcutaneous injection of myelin basic protein (50 μg per animal). Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: I group - (CG), treated by PBS (i.p.), II group - (EAE), III group - (CFA), treated with Complete Freund’s adjuvant (0.2 ml subcutaneously), IV group - (EAE+AGM), treated by agmatine (75 mg/kg bw i.p.) upon EAE induction and V group - (AGM), received only agmatine in the same dose. The animals were treated every day during experiment - from day 0 to 15, and clinically scored every day. They were sacrificed on day 16 from MBP application. NO2+NO3, S-nitrosothiols (RSNO), malondyaldehide (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were determined in rat whole encephalitic mass (WEM) and cerebellum homogenates. Agmatine exerted strong protective effects on EAE clinical symptoms (p<0.05). In EAE brain homogenates, NO2+NO3, RSNO and MDA concentrations were increased compared to CG values. Agmatine treatment diminished NO2+NO3, RSNO and MDA levels in EAE animals (p<0.05). In EAE rats, GSH level and SOD activity were decreased compared to CG values, but agmatine treatment increased both parameters compared to EAE untreated animals (p<0.05). Immunohistochemical staining supported the clinical and biochemical findings in all groups. The CNS changes in EAE are successfully supressed by agmatine application, which could be the the new aspect of the neuroprotective effects of agmatine.