Effects of semax and its Pro-Gly-Pro fragment on calcium homeostasis of neurons and their survival under conditions of glutamate toxicity.
Storozhevykh. T P TP; Tukhbatova. G R GR; Senilova. Ya E YE; Pinelis. V G VG; Andreeva. L A LA; Myasoyedov. N F NF
Key Findings
- Semax (100 µM) delayed calcium overload and loss of mitochondrial potential in neurons exposed to glutamate toxicity
- The Pro‑Gly‑Pro fragment was effective at both 20 µM and 100 µM
- Neuronal survival improved by roughly 30% with peptide treatment
Practical Outcomes
- The results hint that semax might protect brain cells from excitotoxic stress, but the doses used are far higher than any realistic human dose and the work is only in cell culture. For now, it’s an interesting clue rather than a ready‑to‑use protocol; more animal and human studies are needed before recommending it for longevity or cognitive enhancement.
Summary
In a lab test, the peptide semax (and a small piece of it) helped brain cells resist damage from too much glutamate, a chemical that can kill neurons. It slowed down harmful calcium spikes, kept mitochondria healthier, and boosted cell survival by about a third, but the study used very high concentrations on isolated cells, not people.
Abstract
Semax (100 microM) and its Pro-Gly-Pro fragment (20 and 100 microM) delayed the development of calcium dysregulation and reduction of the mitochondrial potential in cultured cerebellar granule cells under conditions of glutamate neurotoxicity. Incubation with these peptides improved neuronal survival by on average 30%. The neuroprotective effect of semax in cerebral ischemia/hypoxia can be due to improvement of mitochondrial resistance to "calcium" stress.
Study Information
pubmed
2007
2007-05-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.1007/s10517-007-0192-x
34
10