AGMATINE AND SPERMIDINE REDUCE COLLAGEN ACCUMULATION IN KIDNEYS OF DIABETIC DB DB MICE/

In the present study, we tested the hypothesis whether agmatine and sp ermidine, metabolites of arginine metabolism, share the pharmacologica l activities of arginine reducing collagen accumulation in the diabeti c kidney. Eleven db/db mice were administered agmatine and 12 db/db mi ce spermidine (50 mg/kg body weight), Ten db/db mice received no treat ment as negative controls and 10 db/db mice were treated with aminogua nidine (50 mg/kg body weight) as positive controls. Mean kidney OH-pro line content reflecting kidney collagen content and mean CML concentra tion were significantly higher but acid solubility of collagen signifi cantly lower in the untreated group than in the treated groups. Agmati ne, although missing the alpha-amino group and the carboxyl group, and spermidine, although missing the guanidino group, thus still revealed the arginine activity. We hypothesize that the strongly nucleophilic structure of polyamines common to all active compounds is able to bloc k reactive carbonyls.