SYMPOSIA
SYMPOSIA
SYMPOSIA
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Poster Presentations<br />
[PP-075] Ref. No: 301<br />
Effects of agmatine in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress<br />
Feyza Arıcıoğlu 1 , Tijen Utkan 2<br />
1 Department of Pharmacology and Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Marmara University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul, Turkey<br />
2 Department of Pharmacology, Kocaeli University, Medical Faculty, Kocaeli, Turkey<br />
E-mail: feyza.aricioglu@gmail.com<br />
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders which is a leading cause of total disability and economic burden.<br />
Although there are medications that alleviate depressive symptoms, they have serious limitations. Therefore better understanding of<br />
the neurobiology of the disease is required. Agmatine (l-amino-4-guanidinobutane) is an endogenous amine synthesized from the<br />
decarboxylation of arginine. Agmatine has been quantified in nearly all of the organs of the rat including brain and plasma. Agmatine<br />
exerts a wide range of biological activities on several organ systems, including the central nervous system, where it has been proposed<br />
to act as a neurotransmitter. Agmatine interacts with the imidazoline receptors, alpha-2-adrenoceptors, nicotinic cholinergic receptors,<br />
and serotonergic 5-HT3 receptors. It selectively modulates the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subclass of glutamate receptors in rat<br />
hippocampal neurons via an interaction between the guanidino group of agmatine and the NMDA channel pore and is an endogenous<br />
inhibitor of all isoforms of nitric oxide synthase. Agmatine is released from neurons and has neuroprotective properties. The present study<br />
was designed to evaluate the effect of agmatine in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression model.<br />
Animals were allocated to the following study groups: animals not exposed to CUMS (Control group, n=12), animals exposed to CUMS for<br />
5 weeks (CUMS group, n=12), and animals exposed to CUMS and treated with agmatine (CUMS+Agmatine group, n=12). The control and<br />
CUMS groups were injected with saline and the CUMS+Agmatine group was injected with agmatine 40 mg/kg, i.p. daily throughout the<br />
experiment. CUMS was applied as previously described with a minor modification. Briefly, the CUMS and CUMS+Agmatine groups were<br />
subjected to different types of stressors: restraint for 4 h, cage tilting for 24 h, wet bedding for 24 h, swimming in 40C cold water for 5<br />
min, swimming in 45 C hot water for 5 min, pairing with another stressed animal for 48 h, level shaking for 10 min, nip tail for 1 min, and<br />
inversion of the light/dark cycle for 24 h. These nine stressors were randomly applied for 5 weeks, during which each stressor was applied<br />
for 4-5 times. The rats received one of these stressors per day and the same stressor was not applied continuously for 2 days so that<br />
animals could not predict the occurence of stimulation. The control group not receiving stress treatment had free access to food and water<br />
but all groups were food and water deprived 24 h before the sucrose consumption test only. After 5 weeks, the sucrose consumption,<br />
sucrose preference and forced swimming tests were performed.<br />
The results of this study showed that agmatine administration during CUMS suppressed CUMS-induced depression-like behavioral<br />
changes, including a reduction in sucrose preference, body weight, locomotor activity, and a decrease in immobility time in the forced<br />
swimming test. Our findings suggest that agmatine may have a protective effect either by inhibiting oxidative damage and/or by<br />
modulating neuronal activity in CUMS. Based on these findings, agmatine, as an endogenous molecule, has a promising effect and further<br />
studies are required to understand the underlying mechanism.<br />
Key words: Agmatine, sucrose preference, forced swimming test, chronic unpredictable mild stress<br />
Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2011;21(Suppl. 2):S166<br />
[PP-076] Ref. No: 302<br />
A case of obsessive compulsive disorder with psychotic features that suffered<br />
from sexual trauma<br />
Fatma Fariha Cengiz, Esra Aydın Sünbül<br />
Erenköy Psychiatric Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey<br />
E-mail: dr_ffatmacengiz@yahoo.com.tr<br />
Introduction: Although the relationship between obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and psychosis is a noteworthy phenomenon, the<br />
limits of the two disorders have not been defined. Eisen and Rasmussen (1993) evaluated a total of 475 patients with OCD and 14% were<br />
identified as having psychotic symptoms in addition to OCD. They classified the patients into 4 groups: 6% OCD without insight, OCD<br />
and schizophrenia (4%), OCD and delusional disorder (2%), OCD and schizotypal personality disorder (3%) (1). In clinical observation it is<br />
seen that, the shift from an obsession to a delusion is described when insight into obsessive signs is lost and resistance abandoned. These<br />
delusions do not signify a schizophrenic diagnosis but represent reactive affective or paranoid psychoses (3).<br />
S166 Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol: 21, Supplement: 2, 2011 - www.psikofarmakoloji.org