Study summary · research use only
Semax, an analog of ACTH((4-7)), regulates expression of immune response genes during ischemic brain injury in rats
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
In this rat study, researchers used transcriptome analysis of cerebral cortex from rats with focal cerebral ischemia to examine effects of the synthetic peptide Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-7) combined with the tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro (PGP), on gene expression. Using genome-wide biochip data and the Ingenuity iReport bioinformatic tool, the authors identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with several biological processes and signaling pathways. The abstract reports that Semax was associated with enhanced antigen presentation signaling, intensified interferon signaling pathway effects from ischemia, altered immunoglobulin synthesis processes, increased expression of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene, and effects on cytokine, stress response, and ribosomal protein-encoding genes after occlusion. PGP treatment was associated with attenuated immune activity and suppressed neurotransmission in the CNS in ischemic rats.
Abstract
Brain stroke continues to claim the lives of million people every year. To build the effective strategies for stroke treatment it is necessary to understand the neuroprotective mechanisms that are able to prevent the ischemic injury. Consisting of the ACTH(4-7) fragment and the tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro (PGP), the synthetic peptide Semax effectively protects brain against ischemic stroke. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its neuroprotection and participation of PGP in them are still needed to be clarified. To reveal biological processes and signaling pathways, which are affected by Semax and PGP, we performed the transcriptome analysis of cerebral cortex of rats with focal cerebral ischemia treated by these peptides. The genome-wide biochip data analysis detected the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and bioinformatic web-tool Ingenuity iReport found DEGs associations with several biological processes and signaling pathways. The immune response is the process most markedly affected by the peptide: Semax enhances antigen presentation signaling pathway, intensifies the effect of ischemia on the interferon signaling pathways and affects the processes for synthesizing immunoglobulins. Semax significantly increased expression of the gene encoding the immunoglobulin heavy chain, highly affects on cytokine, stress response and ribosomal protein-encoding genes after occlusion. PGP treatment of rats with ischemia attenuates the immune activity and suppresses neurotransmission in the CNS. We suppose that neuroprotective mechanism of Semax is realized via the neuroimmune crosstalk, and the new properties of PGP were found under ischemia. Our results provided the basis for further proteomic investigations in the field of searching Semax neuroprotection mechanism.
pepmg summarizes the peer-reviewed literature and links to every source — it sells nothing, ships nothing, and gives no medical, dosing, or human-use guidance. Don't just trust this summary: follow the citation to its source and read it yourself. Research use only.