4 replies to this topic

[treonsverdery]

basically any peptide that protects the nervous system is a protein your body can be gene engineered to make right now I'm particularly impressed that there may be a gene therapy against stroke with this peptide These peptides also improve cognitive performance on administration to mammals They are orally effective against fetal alcohol damage with mammals

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Jul 8;100(14):8543-8. Epub 2003 Jun 13. Links
Comment in:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Jul 8;100(14):8043-4.
Differential effects of ethanol antagonism and neuroprotection in peptide fragment NAPVSIPQ prevention of ethanol-induced developmental toxicity.Wilkemeyer MF, Chen SY, Menkari CE, Brenneman DE, Sulik KK, Charness ME.
Neurology Service, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....t_uids=12808140
NAPVSIPQ (NAP), an active fragment of the glial-derived activity-dependent neuroprotective protein, is protective at femtomolar concentrations against a wide array of neural insults and prevents ethanol-induced fetal wastage and growth retardation in mice. NAP also antagonizes ethanol inhibition of L1-mediated cell adhesion (ethanol antagonism). We performed an Ala scanning substitution of NAP to determine the role of ethanol antagonism and neuroprotection in NAP prevention of ethanol embryotoxicity. The Ser-Ile-Pro region of NAP was crucial for both ethanol antagonism and protection of cortical neurons from tetrodotoxin toxicity (neuroprotection). Ala replacement of either Ser-5 or Pro-7 (P7A-NAP) abolished NAP neuroprotection but minimally changed the efficacy of NAP ethanol antagonism. In contrast, Ala replacement of Ile-6 (I6A-NAP) caused a decrease in potency (>2 logarithmic orders) with only a small reduction (<10%) in the efficacy of NAP neuroprotection but markedly reduced the efficacy (50%) and the potency (5 logarithmic orders) of NAP ethanol antagonism. Ethanol significantly reduced the number of paired somites in mouse whole-embryo culture; this effect was prevented significantly by 100 pM NAP or by 100 pM P7A-NAP, but not by 100 pM I6A-NAP. The structure-activity relation for NAP prevention of ethanol embryotoxicity was similar to that for NAP ethanol antagonism and different from that for NAP neuroprotection. These findings support the hypothesis that NAP antagonism of ethanol inhibition of L1 adhesion plays a central role in NAP prevention of ethanol embryotoxicity and highlight the potential importance of ethanol effects on L1 in the pathophysiology of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Edited by treonsverdery, 05 March 2007 - 06:38 AM.

[treonsverdery]

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2004 Jun;309(3):1190-7. Epub 2004 Mar 8. Links
Protective peptides that are orally active and mechanistically nonchiral.Brenneman DE, Spong CY, Hauser JM, Abebe D, Pinhasov A, Golian T, Gozes I.
Section of Developmental and Molecular Pharmacology, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. dbrennem@prdus.jnj.com

Previous reports identified two peptides that mimic the action of neuroprotective proteins derived from astrocytes. These peptides, NAPVSIPQ and SALLRSIPA, prevent neuronal cell death produced by electrical blockade, N-methyl-d-aspartate, and beta-amyloid peptide (25-35). In the present study, all d-amino acid peptides of NAPVSIPQ and SALLRSIPA were synthesized and compared respectively to the corresponding all l-amino acid peptides. In rat cerebral cortical test cultures cotreated with 1 microM tetrodotoxin, the d-amino acid peptides produced similar potency and efficacy for neuroprotection as that observed for their respective l-amino acid peptides. Since all these peptides tested individually exhibited attenuation of efficacy at concentrations of >10 pM, combinations of these peptides were tested for possible synergies. Equimolar d-NAPVSIPQ and d-SALLRSIPA combination treatment produced potent neuroprotection (EC(50), 0.03 fM) that did not attenuate with increasing concentrations. Similarly, the combination of l-NAPVSIPQ and d-SALLRSIPA also had high potency (EC(50), 0.07 fM) without attenuation of efficacy. Combined administration of peptides was tested in a model of fetal alcohol syndrome and in a model of learning impairment: apolipoprotein E knockout mice. Intraperitoneal administration of d-NAPVSIPQ plus d-SALLRSIPA to pregnant mice (embryonic day 8) attenuated fetal demise after treatment with an acute high dose of alcohol. Furthermore, oral administration of d-NAPVSIPQ plus d-SALLRSIPA significantly increased fetal survival after maternal alcohol treatment. Apolipoprotein E knockout mice injected with d-NAPVSIPQ plus d-SALLRSIPA showed improved performance in the Morris water maze. These studies suggest therapeutic potential for the combined administration of neuroprotective peptides that can act through a mechanism independent of chiral recognition.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....l=pubmed_docsum
Neurotrophic effects of the peptide NAP: a novel neuroprotective drug candidate.Gozes I, Spivak-Pohis I.
Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. igozes@post.tau.ac.il

This short review outlines the scientific progression from the neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide as a neuroprotective agent that acts through glial cells to increase and modulate the synthesis and secretion of novel neuroprotective substances. Recent development in the studies on activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) and activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF) and short peptide derivatives of these proteins, ADNF-9 and NAP suggest that these peptides are neurotrophic and promote neurite outgrowth. These short peptides hold promise in future neuroprotective/neurotrophic drug development. Clinical development of NAP is currently in progress by Allon Therapeutics, Inc.

Edited by treonsverdery, 05 March 2007 - 06:36 AM.

[treonsverdery]

http://www.ncbi.nlm....l=pubmed_docsum
Brain Res. 2006 Oct 18;1115(1):169-78. Epub 2006 Aug 30. Links
Neuroprotective effect of the peptides ADNF-9 and NAP on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats.Kumral A, Yesilirmak DC, Sonmez U, Baskin H, Tugyan K, Yilmaz O, Genc S, Gokmen N, Genc K, Duman N, Ozkan H.
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, 35340 Izmir, Turkey.

Perinatal asphyxia is an important cause of neonatal mortality and subsequent serious sequelae such as motor and cognitive deficits and seizures. Recent studies have demonstrated that short peptides derived from activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF) and activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) are neuroprotective at femtomolar concentrations. However, the effect of these peptides on the hypoxic-ischemic brain injury model is unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the peptides ADNF-9 and NAP on neurodegeneration and cerebral nitric oxide (NO) production in a neonatal rat model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Seven-day-old Wistar Albino rat pups have been used in the study (n=42). Experimental groups in the study were: sham-operated group, ADNF-9-treated hypoxia-ischemia group, NAP-treated hypoxia-ischemia group, ADNF-9+NAP-treated hypoxia-ischemia group, and vehicle-treated group. In hypoxia-ischemia groups, left common carotid artery was ligated permanently on the seventh postnatal day. Two hours after the procedure, hypoxia (92% nitrogen and 8% oxygen) was applied for 2.5 h. ADNF-9, NAP, and ADNF-9+NAP were injected (intraperitoneally; i.p.) as a single dose immediately after the hypoxia period. Brain nitrite levels, neuronal cell death, and apoptosis were evaluated in both hemispheres (carotid ligated or nonligated) 72 h after the hypoxic-ischemic insult. Histopathological evaluation demonstrated that ADNF-9 and NAP significantly diminished number of "apoptotic cells" in the hippocampal CA1, CA2, CA3, and gyrus dentatus regions in both hemispheres (ligated and nonligated). When compared with vehicle-treated group, combination treatment with ADNF-9+NAP did not significantly reduce "apoptotic cell death" in any of the hemispheres. ADNF-9 and NAP, when administered separately, significantly preserved the number of neurons CA1, CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus, when compared with vehicle-treated group. The density of the CA1, CA2, and dentate gyrus neurons was significantly higher when combination therapy with ADNF-9+NAP was used in the carotid ligated hemispheres. In the nonligated hemispheres, combination therapy preserved the number of neurons only in the CA1 and dentate gyrus regions. Brain nitrite levels were evaluated by Griess reagent and showed that hypoxic-ischemic injury caused a significant increase in NO production. Brain nitrite levels in ADNF-9+NAP-treated animals were not different in carotid ligated or nonligated hemispheres. The peptides ADNF-9 and NAP significantly decreased NO overproduction in the hypoxic-ischemic hemisphere, whereas no significant change appeared in hypoxia alone and also in the sham-operated group. These results suggest the beneficial neuroprotective effect of ADNF-9 and NAP in this model of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates a protective effect of these peptides against hypoxia-ischemia in the developing brain.

[treonsverdery]

I've been wandering about finding things that prevent birth defects NAPVSIPQ is there amongst folic acid, B-12, possibly cough syrup

Many here know about the 70 pt effective muscle based gene therapy protocol. NAPVSIPQ gene therapy may be lifetime neuroprotective

[treonsverdery]

I have read that N acetyl cysteine is effective at promoting infant well being http://www.ncbi.nlm....Pubmed_RVDocSum
Pregnancy could be associated with a state of oxidative stress that could initiate and propagate a cascade of changes that may lead to pregnancy wastage. This process of oxidative stress may be suppressed by the antioxidant effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of NAC therapy in patients diagnosed with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). The study was a prospective controlled study performed in the Women's Health Centre, Assiut University, Egypt. A group of 80 patients with history of recurrent unexplained pregnancy loss were treated with NAC 0.6 g + folic acid 500 microg/day and compared with an aged-matched group of 86 patients treated with folic acid 500 microg/day alone. NAC + folic acid compared with folic acid alone caused a significantly increased rate of continuation of a living pregnancy up to and beyond 20 weeks [P < 0.002, relative risk (RR) 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5-5.6]. NAC + folic acid was associated with a significant increase in the take-home baby rate as compared with folic acid alone (P < 0.047, RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.3-4.0). In conclusion, NAC is a well-tolerated drug that could be a potentially effective treatment in patients with unexplained RPL.