Inhibitory effect of peptide Epitalon on colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats.

The effect of synthetic pineal peptide Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) on colon carcinogenesis was firstly studied in rats. Eighty 2-month-old outbred male LIO rats were subdivided into four groups and were weekly exposed to five subcutaneous injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) at a single dose of 21 mg/kg body weight. Additionally, 5 days a week, some of the rats were given subcutaneous injections of saline at a dose of 0.

[The role of molecular genetic diagnosis in prediction and prevention of age specific pathology].

A method of molecular-genetic diagnosis of diseases in hereditary predisposition developed by the authors is novel in geriatric practice. It allows to predict such prevalent age-specific diseases as ischemic heart disease, hypertension, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's and some malignancies. Assessment of molecular-genetic, clinical and laboratory data can identify predisposition or early symptoms of the disease.

Modulating effects of epithalamin and epithalon on the functional morphology of the spleen in old pinealectomized rats.

Immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis showed that epithalamin and epithalon produced similar effects on the functional morphology of the spleen in pinealectomized rats. Both peptides prevented hyperplasia of lymphoid cells in follicular germinative centers induced by pinealectomy and potentiated the decrease in extramedullary hemopoiesis. These findings confirm the data on functional relationships between the pineal gland and immune system.

[Effect of amino acids and low molecular weight peptides on the dynamics of water].

The effect of amino acids and low-molecular-weight peptides on the dynamics of water was studied. Water medium together with molecules of dipeptides and amino acids dissolved in it is considered as a complex of interacting anharmonic oscillators. It was shown that the temperature behaviour of this system is determined by nonlinear resonances, which give rise to both the phenomenon of self-synchronization in the whole system or its part and to the phenomena of phase instability and coherence decay, depending on the store of oscillatory energy.

[Peptide regulation of aging].

The paper shows a new concept of the mechanisms responsible for aging with emphasis on regulatory peptides. The concept opens basically new approaches to preventing premature aging, to prolonging the individual's active life, and eliminating pathological states and processes associated with age-specific changes. The regulatory peptides described in the paper are now regarded as new-generation therapeutical and preventive agents that can produce a naturally target corrective action on the diseased organ and tissue without adverse side effects.

[Effect of vilon and epithalone on induction and growth of induced bladder neoplasms in rats].

Experimental data on the effect of peptides--Vilon (Lys-Glu) and Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly)--on induction of urinary bladder tumors in rats are presented. Treatment with Vilon was followed by a significant fall in tumor incidence in 56% of experimental animals, as compared with 75.5% in control, as well as inhibition of early-onset neoplastic changes in the bladder mucosa.

Tissue-specific effects of peptides.

Synthetic peptides (cytogens) Cortagen, Epithalon, Livagen, and Vilon stimulated the growth of explants from rat brain cortex, subcortical structures, liver, and thymus, respectively, in organotypic cultures. These peptides produced tissue-specific effects: they stimulated the growth of explants from tissues, whose cytomedins (peptide complexes) were used for chemical synthesis.

[Effect of epithalone on growth kinetics and functional morphology of M-1 sarcoma].

The growth of subcutaneously-transplanted sarcoma M-1 in rat was inhibited by injection of a synthetic tetrapeptide--epitalon (2.5 (micrograms/kg). The effect lasted for two weeks after injection course.

Immunomodulatory synthetic dipeptide L-Glu-L-Trp slows down aging and inhibits spontaneous carcinogenesis in rats.

Immunomodulatory molecule L-Glu-L-Trp was isolated from natural calf thymic peptide complex Thymalin by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. On the basis of the synthesized dipeptide a pharmaceutical was designed containing this compound, which later receives the brand name Thymogen. The agent activated T-cell differentiation, T-cell recognition of peptide-MHC complexes, induced changes in intracellular composition of cyclic nucleotides, and activated neutrophilic chemotaxis and phagocytosis.

Effects of peptides on generation of reactive oxygen species in subcellular fractions of Drosophila melanogaster.

We studied the effects of Epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) and Vilon (Lys-Glu) on free radical processes in highly inbred HA(+)line of Drosophila melanogaster. Vilon inhibited generation of reactive oxygen species in mitochondria, but stimulated this process in the cytosol. We found sex- and age-related differences in the generation of reactive oxygen species and cytosol antioxidant activity.

[Epifamine efficacy in aspirin bronchial asthma].

Nine patients with moderate and severe aspirin bronchial asthma (ABA) received epifamine (a course dose 400 mg) in addition to continuous antiasthmatic therapy. Matched 12 ABA patients received placebo. Epifamine was found to improve the patients' clinical condition, response of distal bronchi to berotek; to promote achievement of long remission and increased production of melatonin.

Effect of the dipeptide vilon on activity of digestive enzyme in rats of various ages.

Peroral administration of Vilon (Lys-Glu) to male and female Wistar rats aging 3 and 11 months changed activity of digestive enzymes (invertase, maltase, alkaline phosphatase, and amino- and dipeptidases) in various portions of the gastrointestinal tract. The increase in enzyme activity was most pronounced in 11-month-old animals, which diminished differences between rats of various ages. Our results indicate that Vilon produces positive effects on digestive enzyme activity during aging.

Inhibitory effect of peptide vilon on the development of induced rat urinary bladder tumors in rats.

The effect of peptide vilon (Lys-Glu) on urinary bladder carcinogenesis in rats was studied. Urinary bladder tumors were induced with a selective carcinogen N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine. The tumors developed in 56% vilon-treated animals and in 75.

[Molecular physiology of aging].

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the peptide bioregulators role in molecular mechanisms of ageing and age-related pathology development. There has been put forward the concept of peptide regulation of ageing based on the priority data of authors long-term investigations on inhibition of involution processes in organs and tissues developed with age and restoration of specific proteins synthesis in cells under the influence of natural and synthetic peptide bioregulators. The prospects of peptide bioregulators employment in gerontological practice are being discussed in the paper with the purpose of treatment and prevention of age-associated pathology and human longevity increase.

[Thymus and aging].

This review is devoted to the analysis of current knowledge on the structure-functional organization of thymus, its role in homeostasis regulation and in mechanisms of ageing.

[Growth kinetics and functional morphology of M-1 sarcoma in rats before and after gamma-irradiation].

The study was concerned with growth of sarcoma M-1 and basic morphological characteristics of proliferative activity of cells of this strain as well as apoptosis of cells at different stages of tumor progression in rats before and after a single gamma irradiation at 30 Gy. At the parenchymal periphery which determines tumor growth, the PCNA index of proliferating cells was 76.5%; spontaneous cell death--0.

Synthetic tetrapeptide epitalon restores disturbed neuroendocrine regulation in senescent monkeys.

Unlabelled: The OBJECTIVE of this research was to investigate the regulatory effect of Epitalon on the production of melatonin and cortisol in senescent monkeys.

Material And Methods: We investigated the character of melatonin and cortisol secretion by immunoferment assay in Epitalon-administered female Macaca mulatta in different age periods.

Results: Epitalon was proven to significantly stimulate melatonin synthesis in senescent monkeys in the evening, thereby normalising the circadian rhythm of cortisol secretion.

[Effectiveness of bio-regulators in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy].

Treatment of diabetic retinopathy remains a most important problem of modern ophthalmology. Bioregulatory therapy has been widely used in recent years as one of promising trends in clinical medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of peptide bioregulators in combined treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Tau-protein expression in human blood lymphocytes: a promising marker and suitable sample for life-time diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Taking into account the hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease (AD) might be a systemic disease that affects several tissues in the body, the aim of this study was to try to detect the expression of tau-protein in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in patients with AD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from patients with AD (n=16, age 67-98) and from volunteers without psychoneurological pathology (n=10, age 65-78). PBL were isolated on Ficoll-Paque gradient centrifugation.

Diffuse neuroendocrine system and mitochondrial diseases: molecular and cellular bases of pathogenesis, new approaches to diagnosis and therapy.

Structural and functional alterations of mitochondria have been shown to be responsible for a wide variety of clinical disorders that are referred to as "mitochondrial diseases." It is now obvious that many factors are involved in transport of mitochondrial proteins including cytokines, chaperones, chemokines, neurosteroids, ubiquitin and many others. At the same time the participation and the role of biogenic amines and peptide hormones (which are produced by the diffuse neuroendocrine system cells located in different organs) in endogenous mechanisms of mitochondrial diseases are still unknown.

[Effect of pineal peptides on neuroendocrine system after pinealectomy].

Removal of the pineal gland leads to structural and functional rearrangement of gastric endocrine cells and thyroid C-cells in albino rats, as was shown by immunohistological methods and morphometry. Injection of pineal peptides epithalone and epithalamine eliminated these changes. Biological activity of epithalone is believed to be higher than that of epithalamine.

[Affinity chromatography of nucleoprotein complexes].

Affinity sorbent containing cellular membranes of the cerebral cortex was obtained by means of an inclusion into porous matrix of polyacrylonitrile. Sorption of model and natural nucleoprotein complexes on the obtained sorbent was studied by the method of affinity chromatography. Distribution coefficients were determined.