A practical reference on Neurotrophic signalling: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.
This page was last updated on 2025-08-18 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow. It was designed as a truncated analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, retaining only the fragment spanning residues four through ten. Investigators sought a peptide that would preserve the cognitive effects associated with ACTH while eliminating the hormonal stimulation of the adrenal cortex. The compound entered clinical use in Russia during the following decade.
Russian regulatory authorities approved the peptide for nasal administration, and it remains listed in the national pharmacopoeia under several trade names. Documented indications include acute ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attacks, traumatic brain injury, and certain ophthalmological and neurological conditions. Physicians also prescribe it for cognitive complaints in older patients, although the evidence base for that use is thinner. Outside Russia and a few neighboring states, the substance is not an approved medicine and is sold instead as a research chemical.
从分子层面看，Semax 是线性七肽，没有二硫键、糖基或脂链修饰，N 端为游离氨基，C 端为游离羧基。分子含组氨酸与谷氨酸侧链，因此在水和甲醇等极性溶剂中溶解良好，在非极性溶剂中溶解有限。计算分子量约为 814 Da，与其质子化离子的质荷比吻合，可用于质谱确认。
稳定性主要由水解与氧化两条路径支配。肽键在中性或弱酸性条件下相对稳定，遇到强碱或长时间高温则明显断裂；甲硫氨酸侧链容易被氧化成亚砜，使主峰前移并拉低实际含量。金属离子、光照和反复冻融会进一步促进降解或聚集。冻干粉在低温避光条件下可存放较长时间，配制后的水溶液通常需要冷藏并尽快用完。
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular class | Synthetic heptapeptide | Analog of an ACTH fragment |
| Amino acid length | Seven residues | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro |
| Origin | Moscow, 1980s | Institute of Molecular Genetics |
| Approved regions | Russia and some neighboring states | Not cleared in Western markets |
| Common trade names | Multiple national brands | Sold as a nasal formulation |
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was derived from the ACTH(4-10) fragment, a short segment of adrenocorticotropic hormone that lacks the hormonal activity associated with the full-length peptide. Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow developed the compound during the 1980s. It has been registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia and several neighbouring countries, where it is supplied as a nasal solution, and it is also sold internationally as a research chemical.
The proposed mechanism centres on neurotrophic signalling rather than direct receptor activation. Semax is reported to increase expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in several brain regions, and to shift the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems. Interaction with melanocortin receptors has been suggested because of the parent ACTH fragment. Many of these findings come from rodent studies, and the extent to which they translate to human physiology remains an open question.
Published studies examine a fairly narrow set of endpoints. Rodent experiments commonly measure maze learning, infarct volume after induced ischemia, and tissue levels of neurotrophic factors. Clinical reports from Russian centres describe attention, memory and recovery scores in patients after stroke or transient ischemic attack. Most of those human studies are small and few have been repeated by independent groups. Outcome measures differ between studies, which limits direct comparison.
Circulation time for the peptide is short because peptidases cleave it readily. The Pro-Gly-Pro tail is thought to slow breakdown compared with the bare ACTH fragment, but the gain appears modest. Absorption after intranasal dosing is limited, and only a fraction of a dose is expected to reach the central nervous system. Laboratory concentrations therefore sit well above levels achieved systemically, a gap that complicates translation from bench findings to clinical claims.
In anatomy, the meninges (; sing. meninx ; from Ancient Greek μῆνινξ (mêninx) 'membrane') are protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. In mammals, three meninges have been clearly identified: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Each layer has its own molecularly distinct type of fibroblasts. The meninges act as a physical and immunological protective barrier for the brain and spinal cord, shielding the central nervous system (CNS) from injury. They anchor and support the tissues of the CNS, and provide containment for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the arteries and veins that supply blood to the brain and spinal cord. The dura mater surrounds the arachnoid mater and supports the dural sinuses, which carry blood from the brain to the heart. The area between the arachnoid and pia mater is known as the subarachnoid space. It contains cerebrospinal fluid. The arachnoid and pia maters produce prostaglandin D2 synthase, a major cerebrospinal fluid protein. The arachnoid mater provides a restrictive permeability barrier between the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space and the circulation of blood in the dura. The pia mater is a thin sheet of connective tissue that interfaces with the glial limitans superficialis.
Congestive heart failure AIDS Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic kidney disease Cachexia can happen in late stages of diseases like cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia, tuberculosis, multiple system atrophy, mercury poisoning, Crohn's disease, trypanosomiasis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, and other diseases that affect the entire body.
=== Epidemiological and medical === Bogden JD, Kemp FW, Buse M, et al. (January 1981). "Composition of tobaccos from countries with high and low incidences of lung cancer. I. Selenium, polonium-210, Alternaria, tar, and nicotine". J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 66 (1): 27–31. doi:10.1093/jnci/66.1.27. PMID 6935462. Hecht SS (July 1999). "Tobacco smoke carcinogens and lung cancer". J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 91 (14): 1194–210. doi:10.1093/jnci/91.14.1194. PMID 10413421. Ernster, Virginia, et al. "Women and tobacco: moving from policy to action." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 78 (2000): 891–901. online Frieden, Thomas R. et al. The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General (2014) online Kluger, Richard. Ashes to Ashes: America's Hundred-Year Cigarette War, the Public Health, and the Unabashed Triumph of Philip Morris (Vintage, 1997). excerpt Matuszko J (November 2006). "Tobacco Products Processing Detailed Study" (PDF). www.epa.gov. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2017. Oreskes, Naomi, and Erik M. Conway. Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming (Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2011). Slade, John. "The tobacco epidemic: lessons from history." Journal of psychoactive drugs 21.3 (1989): 281–291. online Warner, Kenneth E. 1986. Selling Smoke: Cigarette Advertising and Public Health (American Public Health Association, 1986). online
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Similar behavior is exhibited by some iron compounds, such as the ferrites including the mineral magnetite, a crystalline form of the mixed iron(II,III) oxide Fe3O4 (although the atomic-scale mechanism, ferrimagnetism, is somewhat different). Pieces of magnetite with natural permanent magnetization (lodestones) provided the earliest compasses for navigation. Particles of magnetite were extensively used in magnetic recording media such as core memories, magnetic tapes, floppies, and disks, until they were replaced by cobalt-based materials.
== Clinical significance == Toxic vacuolation is associated with sepsis, particularly when accompanied by toxic granulation. The finding is also associated with bacterial infection, alcohol toxicity, liver failure, and treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, a cytokine drug used to increase the absolute neutrophil count in patients with neutropenia. The formation of toxic vacuoles represents increased phagocytic activity, which is stimulated by the release of cytokines in response to inflammation or tissue injury. Toxic vacuolation frequently occurs in conjunction with toxic granulation and Döhle bodies in inflammatory states, and these findings are collectively referred to as toxic changes. Neutrophilia and left shift (the presence of immature neutrophil precursors such as band neutrophils and metamyelocytes in the peripheral blood) often accompany toxic changes, as these phenomena also occur in response to inflammation. It has been suggested that neutrophil vacuoles not be labelled "toxic vacuoles" unless they are accompanied by other toxic changes, as vacuolation can occur in other conditions.
Helianthus tuberosus – Plants for a Future database Jerusalem artichoke – Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide NutritionData, Complete nutritional info. Purdue University Alternative Field Crops Manual: Jerusalem Artichoke
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
refractory 1. Having a high melting point. 2. A material that is resistant to decomposition by heat, pressure, or chemical attack, and retains its strength and form at high temperatures, making it suitable for applications in environments exposed to such conditions. Refractories are usually polycrystalline, polyphase, inorganic, non-metallic, porous, and heterogeneous compounds.
=== Multicolour Labelling === Since EosFP can be used in fusion constructs while maintaining functionality of the protein of interest, it is a popular choice for multi-colour labelling studies. In a dual-colour labelling experiment to map the stages of mitosis, HEK293 cells were first stably transfected with tubulin-binding protein cDNA fused to EGFP for visualization of the spindle apparatus. Then, transient transfection of recombination signal-binding protein (RBP) fused to d2EosFP was used to visualize the beginning of mitosis. Photoconversion was completed by fluorescent microscopy and highlighted the separation between two sets of chromosomes during anaphase, telophase and cytokinesis.
=== Medical imaging === Early in the disease chest radiography is typically normal but may show hyperinflation. As the disease progresses a reticular pattern with thickening of airway walls may be present. HRCT can also show air trapping when the person being scanned breathes out completely; it can also show thickening in the airway and haziness in the lungs. A common finding on HRCT is patchy areas of decreased lung density, signifying reduced vascular caliber and air trapping. This pattern is often described as a "mosaic pattern", and may indicate bronchiolitis obliterans.
=== Effects on eukaryotes === Most aminoglycosides used as antibiotics are selective for the prokaryotic ribosome, binding to the eukaryotic ribosome with low affinity and largely not interfering with them. Still, some of them show significant effects on eukaryotes such as people and human cell cultures.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It originated at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow during the 1980s. The work was carried out by a Russian research group that specialized in peptide neuropharmacology.
It is registered as a medicine in Russia and has been used clinically there for decades. No regulatory agency in Western Europe or North America has approved it for any indication.
Semax corresponds to the four-to-ten fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Because it omits the first three residues, it lacks the adrenal-stimulating action of the full hormone.
电喷雾或基质辅助激光解吸电离质谱是常用手段，测得的质子化离子质荷比可换算为分子量。结果与理论值落在合理误差内，才支持结构一致的判断。