Agmatine sulphate

All chemicals and reagents used were of analytical or HPLC grade or equivalent. Biogenic amine standards such as histamine hydrochloride, putrescine dihydrochloride, tyramine hydrochloride, cadaverine dihydrochloride, and agmatine sulphate were obtained from Sigma (USA). Perchloric acid and boric acid were also obtained from Sigma (France). O-phthalaldehyde (OPA), mercaptoethanol, polyoxyethylene (Brig-35), and sodium octanesulfonate were obtained from Merck (Germany). Double distilled water was used to prepare solutions.

Adult male WAG/Rij rats (6-8 month-old, weighing 240-350 g) from the breeding colony of the Experimental Medical Research and Application Center of Kocaeli University were used in the experiments. The animals were housed under standard laboratory conditions on a 12/12 h light/ dark cycle (lights on at 7:00 a.m.) at 21±2°C and were allowed for free access to food and water in groups of 3-4 rats per cage. All experimental procedures were performed in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Research Ethics Committee in Turkey (Date: 06.06.2006, No:26220) and approved by Kocaeli University Animal Research Ethics Committee (protocol no: 1/3-2010).
The rats were randomly assigned in four groups (n=9, each group) in order to evaluate the dose-dependent effects of agmatine on the occurrence of SWDs. Group-1 (Saline) was treated with physiological saline only; Group-2 (Ag-20) received 20 mg/kg, Group-3 (Ag-40) 40 mg/kg and Group-4 (Ag-80) 80 mg/kg agmatine. Agmatine sulphate (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) was dissolved in physiological saline at the concentration of 20, 40 or 80 mg/ml on the day of the experiment. Drugs or saline were injected intraperitoneally (1 ml/kg; ip) by using needles of 27G. The doses of agmatine are based on the previous report (23) (link).