Effect of semax and its C-terminal fragment Pro-Gly-Pro on the expression of VEGF family genes and their receptors in experimental focal ischemia of the rat brain.
Medvedeva. Ekaterina V EV; Dmitrieva. Veronika G VG; Povarova. Oksana V OV; Limborska. Svetlana A SA; Skvortsova. Veronika I VI; Myasoedov. Nikolay F NF; Dergunova. Lyudmila V LV
Key Findings
- Semax and its fragment Pro‑Gly‑Pro significantly increased Vegf‑b mRNA and decreased Vegf‑d mRNA at 3 hours after stroke.
- At 72 hours, Vegf‑b levels stayed high while Vegf‑d remained low, opposite to the natural ischemic response.
- The gene‑expression shifts suggest Semax may counteract harmful stroke‑induced changes, contributing to its neuroprotective effect.
Practical Outcomes
- For biohackers, this study shows that Semax has a measurable impact on brain‑protective pathways in animal models, but it does not provide dosage, safety, or human efficacy data. It is not yet ready for self‑experimentation; further clinical research is needed before any real‑world protocol can be recommended.
Summary
In rats with a blocked brain artery (a model of stroke), the drug Semax and a tiny piece of it (Pro‑Gly‑Pro) changed the activity of two genes, Vegf‑b and Vegf‑d, that are involved in blood‑vessel growth. These changes were opposite to what the stroke itself does, hinting that Semax might help protect brain tissue after a stroke.
Abstract
The synthetic peptide Semax (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) is used successfully in acute stroke therapy. In spite of numerous studies on the subject, many aspects of the neuroprotective effects of the peptide remain unknown. We studied the action of Semax and its C-terminal tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro on the expression of the VEGF gene family (Vegf-a, Vegf-b, Vegf-c, Vegf-d, and Plgf) and their receptors (Vegfr-1, Vegfr-2, and Vegfr-3) in the frontoparietal cortex region of the rat brain at 3, 24, and 72 h after permanent left middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). The relative mRNA level of the genes studied was assessed using real-time reverse transcription-PCR. The Vegf-b and Vegf-d genes were most affected by the peptides, which resulted in their most noticeable activation at 3 h after pMCAO. The level of Vegf-d transcripts decreased considerably, whereas the mRNA level of the Vegf-b gene was significantly increased after 72 h of treatment with each of the peptides. In addition, the effects of the peptides on the expression of the Vegf-b and Vegf-d genes were the opposite of the action of ischemia. It is suggested that the identified effects of the peptides diminish the effects of ischemia, thus participating in the positive therapeutic effect of Semax on ischemic stroke.
Study Information
pubmed
2012
2012-07-08T00:00:00.000Z
10.1007/s12031-012-9853-y
17
35