Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus

Oleg V Dolotov; Ekaterina A Karpenko; Lyudmila S Inozemtseva; Tamara S Seredenina; Natalia G Levitskaya; Joanna Rozyczka; Elena V Dubynina; Ekaterina V Novosadova; Lyudmila A Andreeva; Lyudmila Yu Alfeeva; Andrey A Kamensky; Igor A Grivennikov; Nikolay F Myasoedov; Jürgen Engele

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2006.07.108

Semax, an analog of ACTH(4-10) with cognitive effects, regulates BDNF and trkB expression in the rat hippocampus

Brain Res. 2006 Oct 30;1117(1):54-60. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.07.108. Epub 2006 Sep 22.

Authors

Oleg V Dolotov¹, Ekaterina A Karpenko, Lyudmila S Inozemtseva, Tamara S Seredenina, Natalia G Levitskaya, Joanna Rozyczka, Elena V Dubynina, Ekaterina V Novosadova, Lyudmila A Andreeva, Lyudmila Yu Alfeeva, Andrey A Kamensky, Igor A Grivennikov, Nikolay F Myasoedov, Jürgen Engele

Affiliation

¹ Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. oledg@img.ras.ru

PMID: 16996037
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.07.108

Abstract

The heptapeptide Semax (Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro) is an analog of the adrenocorticotropin fragment (4-10) which after intranasal application has profound effects on learning and exerts marked neuroprotective activities. Here, we found that a single application of Semax (50 microg/kg body weight) results in a maximal 1.4-fold increase of BDNF protein levels accompanying with 1.6-fold increase of trkB tyrosine phosporylation levels, and a 3-fold and a 2-fold increase of exon III BDNF and trkB mRNA levels, respectively, in the rat hippocampus. Semax-treated animals showed a distinct increase in the number of conditioned avoidance reactions. We suggest that Semax affects cognitive brain functions by modulating the expression and the activation of the hippocampal BDNF/trkB system.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Administration, Intranasal
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / analogs & derivatives*
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / chemistry
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / pharmacology
Animals
Avoidance Learning / drug effects
Avoidance Learning / physiology
Body Weight / drug effects
Body Weight / physiology
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / drug effects*
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / genetics
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / metabolism
Cognition / drug effects
Cognition / physiology
Conditioning, Psychological / drug effects
Conditioning, Psychological / physiology
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Exons / drug effects
Exons / genetics
Hippocampus / drug effects*
Hippocampus / metabolism
Nootropic Agents / pharmacology
Peptide Fragments / chemistry
Peptide Fragments / pharmacology*
RNA, Messenger / drug effects
RNA, Messenger / genetics
RNA, Messenger / metabolism
Rats
Reaction Time / drug effects
Reaction Time / physiology
Receptor, trkB / drug effects*
Receptor, trkB / genetics
Receptor, trkB / metabolism
Up-Regulation / drug effects
Up-Regulation / physiology

Substances

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Nootropic Agents
Peptide Fragments
RNA, Messenger
ACTH (4-7), Pro-Gly-Pro-
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
Receptor, trkB
ACTH (4-10)