New synthetic peptides can enhance gene expression of key antioxidant defense enzymes in vitro and in vivo.

Neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and age-related disorders have been attributed to the cellular damage caused by elevated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals (FRs). These cannot be adequately defended by existing levels of key antioxidant enzymes. Two peptides, 8 and 14 amino acids long, were synthesized and found to up-regulate, at nanomolar concentrations, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) m-RNAs (9- to 12-fold) within 3 h, and then elevate by 5- to 10-fold the protein levels of SOD, CAT, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in rat primary cortical cultures.