Agmatine attenuates the severity of immunometabolic disorders by suppressing macrophage polarization: an in vivo study using an ulcerative colitis mouse model

Agmatine, an endogenous polyamine generated by the gut microbiota, positively affects host lifespan by regulating mononuclear cell or macrophage function. Although the regulatory pathways governing monocyte/macrophage differentiation have been well studied, the influence of the microbiome and its metabolites on monocyte/macrophage function have not been fully elucidated. To address this, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms whereby agmatine inhibits immunometabolic disorders using the colon of ulcerative colitis (UC) model mice. Agmatine (10 mM) attenuated pathological damage to colonic tissue and significantly improved the survival rate of UC model mice. In particular, treatment of UC model mice with 0.4, 2, and 10 mM agmatine resulted in mortality rates of 70 %, 20 %, 10 %, and 0 %, respectively. In a macrophage-depletion model, agmatine regulated the inflammatory microenvironment by affecting macrophages: it reduced the proportion of M1 macrophages and increased that of M2 macrophages in UC model mice. In cultured macrophages, agmatine inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory cytokine and NO secretion, as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the Griess assay, respectively. Agmatine partially reduced inflammatory factor production by inhibiting histone deacetylase, as detected by fluorometric assay. These findings provide evidence that agmatine efficiently suppresses macrophage polarization in UC mice, highlighting its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent against UC.