[The mechanisms of stimulation of cellular proliferation under the effect of L-amino acids in the tissue culture in young and old rats].

The statistical method of range correlation was used to analyse the correlation of individual characteristics of L-amino acids, as well as of the dipole moments of the first pair of the nucleotides of their codons to the biological activity of the amino acids, i.e. to the stimulation of the cellular proliferation.

Peptides regulate cortical thymocytes differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis.

The processes of differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis were studied in a cell culture of human cortical thymocytes under the influence of short peptides T-32 (Glu-Asp-Ala) and T-38 (Lys-Glu-Asp). Peptides T-32 and T-38 amplified cortical thymocytes differentiation towards regulatory T cells, increased their proliferative activity, and decreased the level of apoptosis. Moreover, peptides under study stimulated proliferative and antiapoptotic activity of the mature regulatory T cells.

Changes in apoptosis and cell proliferation in human pineal gland during aging.

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of proapoptotic protein P53 and proliferation protein Ki-67 in human pineal gland showed that in people over 60 years pinealocyte proliferation is virtually absent. Moreover, pinealocyte apoptosis is more pronounced in elderly, whereas in senile and long-living individuals its intensity decreases.

Pinealon increases cell viability by suppression of free radical levels and activating proliferative processes.

The synthetic tripeptide pinealon (Glu-Asp-Arg) demonstrates dose-dependent restriction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in cerebellar granule cells, neutrophils, and pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, induced by oxidative stress stimulated by receptor-dependent or -independent processes. At the same time, pinealon decreases necrotic cell death measured by the propidium iodide test. The protective effect of pinealon is accompanied with a delayed time course of ERK 1/2 activation and modification of the cell cycle.

Light pollution, reproductive function and cancer risk.

At present, light pollution (exposure to light-at-night) both in the form of occupational exposure during night work and as a personal choice and life style, is experienced by numerous night-active members of our society. Disruption of the circadian rhythms induced by light pollution has been associated with cancer in humans. There are epidemiological evidences of increased breast and colon cancer risk in shift workers.

Elucidation of the effect of brain cortex tetrapeptide Cortagen on gene expression in mouse heart by microarray.

Objectives: Aging is associated with significant alterations in gene expression in numerous organs and tissues. Anti-aging therapy with peptide bioregulators holds much promise for the correction of age-associated changes, making a screening for their molecular targets in tissues an important question of modern gerontology. The synthetic tetrapeptide Cortagen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Pro) was obtained by directed synthesis based on amino acid analysis of natural brain cortex peptide preparation Cortexin.

Peptides and Ageing.

A technology has been developed for manufacturing of biologically active complex peptide preparations from extracts of different tissues. In particular, the pineal preparation (Epithalamin) augments the in vitro outgrowth of explants from the pineal gland but not from other tissues, the latter being stimulated by peptide preparations from respective tissues. Epithalamin increases melatonin production by the pineal gland of rats, improves immunological parameters in rats and mice, produces anticarcinogenic effects in different experimental models, stimulates antioxidant defenses, and restores the reproductive function in old rats.

Gastrointestinal melatonin: cellular identification and biological role.

Melatonin, a pineal hormone, because of its wide activity spectrum, is a subject of much current interest for biologists and physicians. It has been demonstrated that pineal gland is not an exclusive source of melatonin synthesis. Melatonin synthesis has been found in different sites of the organism, and a major source of extrapineal melatonin is the gastrointestinal tract.

Effects of pineal peptide preparation Epithalamin on free-radical processes in humans and animals.

Objectives: The review on our own data on the effect of the pineal peptide preparation Epithalamin on free radical processes in rodents and humans is presented in this paper.

Results: The activity of Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found decreased in the brain of aged rats (30 months old) by 46.8% as compared to young animals.

Effect of synthetic thymic and pineal peptides on biomarkers of ageing, survival and spontaneous tumour incidence in female CBA mice.

Fifty female CBA mice were injected s.c. either with 0.