SPERMIDINE: a Multifaceted Cellular Player
From Molecular Mechanisms to a Clinical Impact on Cognitive Function

Newsletter # 106



Animal models


Spermidine is a polyamine compound found in cells which plays a multifaceted role in cellular functions, encompassing the promotion of autophagy, the enhancement of synaptic plasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and an agonistic impact on NMDA receptors involved in learning and memory. Randomized clinical trials have indicated a favorable impact from prolonged spermidine supplementation, especially on verbal memory and inflammation 1,2
The preclinical data of Neurofit corroborate the mentioned clinical findings, demonstrating the positive impact of spermidine on cognitive deficits in mice induced either by NMDA hypofunction or inflammation.

The graphs depict mice's cognitive performance through spontaneous alternation in the T-maze — a widely employed test for assessing a rodents' cognitive behavior in a single session. Higher spontaneous alternation rates correlate with greater cognitive performance. A significant reduction below the chance level (50%) signals repetitive insistence (stereotypy) on the same T-maze arm visit, indicating a cognitive deficit, which is a core symptom seen in conditions like dementia or schizophrenia.

1 https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.13875
2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2018.09.014

  • Reversal of Phencyclidine (PCP)-induced cognitive deficit by spermidine

    NEUROFIT website

    Left panel:
    Phencyclidine (PCP) acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist, inducing symptoms akin to schizophrenia and cognitive impairment. Evidenced by reduced spontaneous alternations in mice     (white vs black column), indicative of stereotypy, PCP leads to cognitive deficits. Spermidine administration demonstrates a dose-dependent improvement in spontaneous alternation performance in PCP-treated mice, enhancing cognitive ability (black vs blue columns). This supports the positive modulation of the NMDA pathway by spermidine.


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  • Reversal of Lipopolysaccaride (LPS)-induced cognitive deficit by spermidine

    NEUROFIT website

    Right panel:
    The injection of LPS is recognized for initiating brain inflammation, resulting in a cognitive deficit and mimicking various pathological conditions. The LPS-induced cognitive deficit is apparent through a reduction in the spontaneous alternations of mice     (white vs black column) reflecting repetitive insistence (stereotypy) on visiting the same arm of the T-maze. The administration of Spermidine shows a dose-dependent improvement in the spontaneous alternation performance in LPS-treated mice, enhancing their cognitive ability (black vs blue columns). This finding supports the idea that spermidine may interfere with inflammation.


NEUROFIT offers a range of validated in vitro and in vivo screening tests for psychiatry and neurology.

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