Effect of agmatine on actin polymerization in leukocytes of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

It has been shown that agmatine affects the process of actin polymerization in leukocytes from both healthy rats and rats with experimentally induced diabetes mellitus (EDM). Our studies revealed that the initial general F-actin level in the leukocytes of diabetic rats was substantially higher than in the leukocytes of the healthy animals. This implies that leukocytes undergo a number of structural and functional changes and are in pre-activated state at the diabetes mellitus conditions. While the total actin content in the leukocytes of EDM rats dropped, we observed a redistribution of actin fractions, namely the level of cytoskeletal actin filaments decreased, whereas the abundunce of short actin filaments increased. Thus, actin polymerization intensifies in EDM conditions, although the initial actin content decreases. Agmatine administration to the control group of animals didn’t lead to significant changes in general actin content in leukocytes, while the level of actin monomers decreased due to polymerization and short actin filaments formation. Treatment of the diabetic rats with agmatine resulted in elevated content of both general actin and cytoskeletal actin filaments as a result of reorganization of short actin filaments. Our data suggest that this polyamine directly or indirectly affects the functional state of leukocytes via altered cytoskeleton formation. Keywords: actin, cytoskeleton, leukocytes, agmatine, experimental diabetes mellitus.