TY - JOUR AB - Neural injury is associated with the development of diabetic retinopathy. Müller cells provide structural and metabolic support for retinal neurons. High glucose concentrations are known to induce Müller cell activity. Agmatine is an endogenous polyamine, which is enzymatically formed in the mammalian brain and has exhibited neuroprotective effects in a number of experimental models. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether agmatine protects Müller cells from glucose‑induced damage and to explore the mechanisms underlying this process. Lactate dehydrogenase activity and tumor necrosis factor‑α mRNA expression were significantly reduced in Müller cells exposed to a high glucose concentration, following agmatine treatment, compared with cells not treated with agmatine. In addition, agmatine treatment inhibited glucose‑induced Müller cell apoptosis, which was associated with the regulation of Bax and Bcl‑2 expression. Agmatine treatment suppressed glucose‑induced phosphorylation of mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK) protein in Müller cells. The present study demonstrated that the protective effects of agmatine on Müller cells were inhibited by N‑methyl‑D‑aspartic acid (NMDA). The results of the present study suggested that agmatine treatment protects Müller cells from high‑concentration glucose‑induced cell damage. The underlying mechanisms may relate to the anti‑inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects of agmatine, as well as to the inhibition of the MAPK pathway, via NMDA receptor suppression. Agmatine may be of use in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for patients with diabetic retinopathy. AD - Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China Department of Ocular Fundus Disease, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130041, P.R. China AU - Han,Ning AU - Yu,Li AU - Song,Zhidu AU - Luo,Lifu AU - Wu,Yazhen DA - 2015/07/01 DO - 10.3892/mmr.2015.3540 EP - 1106 IS - 1 JO - Mol Med Rep KW - agmatine N‑methyl‑D‑aspartic acid receptor Müller cell diabetic retinopathy mitogen‑activated protein kinase PY - 2015 SN - 1791-2997 1791-3004 SP - 1098 ST - Agmatine protects Müller cells from high‑concentration glucose‑induced cell damage via N‑methyl‑D‑aspartic acid receptor inhibition T2 - Molecular Medicine Reports TI - Agmatine protects Müller cells from high‑concentration glucose‑induced cell damage via N‑methyl‑D‑aspartic acid receptor inhibition UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2015.3540 VL - 12 ER -