Tag Archives: agmatine

Agmatine, telomerase and trace minerals levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

D. Ülger*, S. Bakir, Ö. T. Doğan

Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Turkey;
*e-mail: dilaraulger@cumhuriyet.edu.tr

Received: 19 August 2022; Revised: 16 November 2022;
Accepted: 17 February 2023; Available on-line:  27 February 2023

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disease characterized by repetitive, partially or complete upper airway obstructions resulting in hypoxia and bioelectrical wakefulness reactions along with sleep. There is a limited and different information on the biochemical pathways that may determine harmful effects in OSAS patients with different disease severity. Hence, we aimed to estimate the plasma levels of polyamine agmatine, which has many effects on the central nervous system, telomerase and trace minerals in patients with OSAS. The study included 90 volunteer patients diagnosed with OSAS and divided into three groups of 30 people each according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) score: mild, moderate and severe. Nocturnal blood oxygen saturation percentage (SpO2) and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Plasma agmatine level was defined by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC), plasma trace elements (Cu, Co, Mg, Mo, Zn, Se) level by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and serum telomerase level by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. It was found that SpO2 value decreased as the disease progressed and showed a negative correlation with BMI, Co and Se plasma levels. The levels of agmatine and telomerase were shown to lower in patients with severe OSAS group compared to other groups.

The effect of agmatine on L-arginine metabolism in erythrocytes under streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

I. V. Ferents, I. V. Brodyak, M. Ya. Lyuta,
V. A. Burda, A. M. Fedorovych, N. O. Sybirna

Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine;
e-mail: sybirna_natalia@yahoo.com

The effects of agmatine on oxidative and non-oxidative metabolic pathways of L-arginine were investigated both in plasma and erythrocytes under experimental diabetes mellitus. It was indicated, that agmatine prevents the development of oxidative-nitrosative stress in diabetic rats. After treatment of animals by agmatine NO-synthase methabolic pathway of L-arginine is depressed whereas arginase one increases in erythrocytes of rats with experimental diabetes mellitus.

The effect of amixin and agmatine on cytochrome c release from isolated mitochondria

K. R. Uspenska, G. L. Gergalova, O. Yu. Lykhmus, M. V. Skok

Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;

e-mail: kate.uspenska@gmail.com

Mitochondrial nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) control permeability transition pore formation and cytochrome c release in the presence of apoptogenic factors. This study demonstrates that pharmacological agents amixin and agmatine affect mitochondrial nAChR functioning: they slightly suppress cytochrome c release from mouse brain and liver mitochondria stimulated with apoptogenic dose of Са2+ and prevent the effect of α7 nAChR agonist PNU282987. We conclude that mitochondria may be one of therapeutic targets of amixin and agmatine.