Effects of Selank on behavioral reactions and activities of plasma enkephalin-degrading enzymes in mice with different phenotypes of emotional and stress reactions.
Sokolov. O Yu OY; Meshavkin. V K VK; Kost. N V NV; Zozulya. A A AA
Key Findings
- Selank (100 µg/kg) produced an anxiolytic effect in BALB/c mice in an open‑field test
- Selank increased the half‑life of plasma leu‑enkephalin in BALB/c mice
- No behavioral or enzymatic effects were seen in C57Bl/6 mice
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, the study hints that Selank’s anxiety‑reducing action could involve boosting enkephalin levels, but the effect is strain‑specific in mice and not proven in humans. The mouse dose does not directly translate to a human regimen, so any self‑experiment should proceed with caution and consider the lack of human data.
Summary
In a mouse study, the peptide Selank lowered anxiety and slowed the breakdown of a natural pain‑relief molecule (leu‑enkephalin) in one strain of mice (BALB/c) but did nothing in another strain (C57Bl/6). This suggests Selank’s calming effect may come from blocking enzymes that destroy enkephalins, but the results are limited to mice and depend on genetic background.
Abstract
Comparative study of plasma activities of enkephalin-degrading enzymes in mice with different phenotypes of emotional and stress reactions revealed significant differences between intact BALB/c and C57Bl/6 mice by the half-life of plasma leu-enkephalin. Selank in a dose of 100 micrograms/kg produced an anxiolytic effect in the open-field test and increased the half-life of plasma leu-enkephalin in BALB/c mice, but had no effect on behavioral reactions and enkephalinase activities in C57Bl/6 mice. Our results suggest that anxiolytic activity of Selank is associated with inhibition of enkephalin-degrading enzymes.
Study Information
pubmed
2002
10.1023/a:1015582302311