Arıcıoğlu F., Kabacaoğlu G., Korkmaz E., Bahtiyar B., Sümer E., Yılmaz B.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES, cilt.15, sa.4, ss.953-961, 2025 (ESCI, TRDizin)
Özet
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of agmatine (AGM), a neuromodulatory compound, on social interaction impairments and repetitive behaviors in a valproic acid (VPA)-induced animal model of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Methods: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered VPA (400 mg/kg, s.c.) on embryonic day 12.5, while the control group received saline (0.1ml/100g body weight). The pups were weaned on postnatal day 21 and divided into control, ASD, and ASD+AGM groups. AGM was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 50 mg/kg between postnatal days 30 and 45. On postnatal days 46 and 52, the open field test (OFT) was performed to assess locomotor activity and repetitive behaviors, the social interaction test was performed to assess social approach and communication, and the novel object recognition test (NORT) was performed to assess learning and memory performance.
Results: Compared with the control group, the ASD group exhibited increased locomotor activity and repetitive grooming in the OFT, decreased learning performance in the NORT, and impaired social interaction in the social interaction test. AGM treatment significantly reversed these behavioral abnormalities, restoring repetitive behaviors, learning and memory performance, and social interaction to levels comparable to
controls.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that exogenous administration of AGM, an endogenous neuromodulator, can effectively modulate the behavioral deficits observed in ASD. Therefore, targeting molecules involved in AGM synthesis and metabolism may offer promising prospects for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for ASD.