White laboratory male rats, inbred male C57BL/6 and Balb/c mice, and male Wistar rats, all previously divided on the basis of the type of emotional reactivity, were used to compare the effects of ten peptide compounds of the tuftsin family and Selank on the behavioral manifestations of emotional stress created by a conflict situation. Peptides were shown to have positive emotional effects and antistress actions. Individual physiologically significant effects were seen, due to the molecular structures of the study peptides and/or their degradation fragments. The results demonstrate the potential for the synthesis of peptide compounds with predictable directions of pharmacological actions and safe for wide use.
The actions of the synthetic heptapeptide preparation Selank on learning and memory processes in rats with initially low levels of learning ability were compared with those in normal rats, using a method based on acquisition of a conditioned active avoidance reflex, with repeated administration of peptide 15 min before the start of training sessions for four days. The effects of Selank (300 microg/kg) were compared with the effects of the nootrope piracetam (400 mg/kg). These experiments showed that Selank significantly activated the learning process in rats with initially poor learning ability, with effects apparent after first dose on training day 1. The effect progressively increased on repeated administration of Selank: the total number of correct solutions increased and the number of errors decreased (p < 0.05). The maximum optimizing activity of Selank on learning in normal rats was seen on day 3 of repeated administration and training, i.e., after formation of the initial consolidation phase. The dynamic features of the development of the activating action of Selank and piracetam were described. Comparison of the results obtained here with data on the anti-anxiety actions of Selank suggested potential for its use in optimizing mnestic functions in conditions of elevated emotional tension.
The effects of Selank, the active component of which is the heptapeptide Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Pro-Gly-Pro, which includes the tetrapeptide tuftsin and three natural levorotatory amino acids, on behavior and brain serotonin and noradrenaline levels were studied in adult rats subjected to antenatal hypoxia on days 14-16 of gestation. Administration of Selank (300 microg/kg, i.p.) improved sensory attention levels by factors of 2-3 (p < 0.01), facilitated the learning process by a factor of 1.5 (p < 0.01), normalized the level of investigative activity in the open field and hole board, and restored the balance of activity between the serotoninergic and noradrenergic systems of the brain. The data obtained here provide evidence that Selank can be used to compensate for the long-term negative effects of antenatal hypoxia on brain integrative activity and the activity of monoaminergic transmitter systems.
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