ACTH(4-10) raises a handful of sensible questions. This page answers them in order, starting with the fundamentals and moving to applications.
This page was last updated on 2025-08-05 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Identity and purity of semax are established with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ultraviolet detection, usually at 214 nanometres. Mass spectrometry, most often electrospray ionisation in positive mode, confirms the molecular mass and reveals truncated sequences. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping after enzymatic digestion provide additional structural confirmation. Laboratories typically report purity as the percentage area of the main peak, a figure that does not capture isomeric or oxidised variants unless the method resolves them.
The peptide is prone to several degradation pathways. Oxidation of the methionine residue produces a sulfoxide that elutes close to the parent peak in many chromatographic systems. Hydrolysis of peptide bonds and deamidation of susceptible residues in related sequences also reduce purity over time. Lyophilised material kept dry at minus twenty degrees Celsius and shielded from light is the most stable form commonly described in laboratory practice.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide whose sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It was developed as a fragment analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone, modeled specifically on the ACTH(4-10) region. The first four residues reproduce that fragment, while a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide is appended at the C-terminus. Work on the compound originated in Russia, where it entered clinical use as an intranasal preparation. Its sequence places it among short regulatory peptides studied for effects on the central nervous system rather than on the adrenal axis.
The C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension is not incidental. Proline-rich tails are known to resist several common peptidases, and the published literature attributes the longer half-life of Semax, relative to unmodified ACTH fragments, to this feature. The modification also removes the melanocyte-stimulating and corticosteroidogenic activity that characterizes longer ACTH-derived sequences. Because the molecule is small and hydrophilic, it is typically formulated as an aqueous solution for intranasal or parenteral delivery. Acetylation or amidation at the termini appears in closely related research peptides and shifts the mass by a fixed increment.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Lyophilised solid |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Also dissolves in aqueous buffers |
| Typical storage temperature | -20 °C | Dry, desiccated, protected from light |
| Typical analytical method | RP-HPLC with UV detection | Often paired with LC-MS |
| Water content | Reported as Karl Fischer value | Freeze-dried material is hygroscopic |
溶液状态的稳定性明显低于冻干粉。肽类在水溶液中可能经历水解、氧化与聚集，其中甲硫氨酸和天冬酰胺等残基常是敏感位点。Semax 含有甲硫氨酸，因此氧化风险相对突出。工作液一般主张现配现用，或冷藏并在数日内用尽。缓冲液种类、pH 和离子强度都会影响降解速率，而关于最佳条件的公开数据并不统一。
常规纯度与身份确认依赖反相高效液相色谱，并辅以质谱测定分子量。氨基酸组成分析可用于验证序列构成，肽图分析则能进一步定位修饰或降解产物。杂质谱通常关注缺失序列肽、截短片段和氧化产物。不同方法的检出限并不相同，因此各实验室报告的纯度数值不宜直接横向比较。
Later generations of the molecule include an N-acetylated form and an amidated form, both marketed online alongside the parent peptide. These variants differ in terminal chemistry and stability, and they are frequently discussed in the same breath even though they have not been compared in controlled trials. Supply outside formal healthcare systems comes largely from laboratories that synthesize peptides to order. Purity and identity of these materials vary widely, and no single body oversees the international trade.
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.
== Posthumous recognition == In 1959 she became the first woman elected to the Poultry Historical Society Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2002, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Hall of Fame in 2007, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018.
== Use and effects == According to Alexander Shulgin in his book TiHKAL (Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved), DET's dose range is 50 to 100 mg orally and its duration is 2 to 4 hours. It was also assessed at oral doses of 44 to 400 mg, though 150 mg was described as "a little too much" and the 400 mg dose was simply described as "too high". Its onset is 40 minutes to more than 1 hour and peak effects occurred at just over 1 hour. In addition to oral administration, DET was assessed by smoking at doses of 40 to 90 mg, by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 40 mg, by intramuscular injection at a dose of 60 mg, and by intravenous injection at a dose of 60 mg. By these routes, it has a faster onset than when taken orally. The drug is said to taste terrible when smoked, like "burning plastic". DET was initially assumed to be inactive orally similarly to dimethyltryptamine (DMT), but this proved to be incorrect. The effects of DET have been reported to include similar "illusions" and hallucinations" as DMT, a wave-like time course of effects, closed-eye visuals, open-eye visuals, auditory and olfactory hallucinations, synesthesia, feeling like in another world, cosmic thinking, mystical and philosophical feelings, dream-like mysteriousness of objects, greater emotional significance of objects, peoples' faces seeming "mask-like", enhanced appreciation of art, architecture, and music, feeling like a small child perceiving the world and discovering it anew, time dilation, enjoyment and euphoria, increased empathy, and emotional insights.
Rhinoplasty, sometimes referred to as a "nose job," is a plastic surgery procedure performed to change the shape, size, or proportions of the nose or to improve nasal function and breathing. There are two types of plastic surgery used – reconstructive surgery that restores the form and functions of the nose and cosmetic surgery that changes the appearance of the nose. Reconstructive surgery seeks to resolve nasal injuries caused by various traumas including blunt, and penetrating trauma and trauma caused by blast injury. Reconstructive surgery can also treat birth defects, breathing problems, and failed primary rhinoplasties. Rhinoplasty may remove a dorsal hump, narrow the nostril width, alter the nasolabial angle, or address injuries, birth defects, or other functional issues that affect breathing, such as a deviated nasal septum, internal nasal valve collapse, or external nasal valve collapse. Surgery only on the septum is called a septoplasty. In closed rhinoplasty and open rhinoplasty surgeries – a plastic surgeon, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist), or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (jaw, face, and neck specialist), creates a functional, aesthetic, and facially proportionate nose by separating the nasal skin and the soft tissues from the nasal framework, altering them as required for form and function, suturing the incisions, using tissue glue and applying either a package or a stent, or both, to immobilize the altered nose to ensure the proper healing of the surgical incision.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Neurodegenerative diseases === Due to the ability of Ang to protect motoneurons (MNs), causal links between Ang mutations and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are likely. The angiogenic factors associated with Ang may protect the central nervous system and MNs directly. Experiments with wild type Ang found that it slows MN degeneration in mice that had developed ALS, providing evidence for further development of Ang protein therapy in ALS treatment. Angiogenin expression in Parkinson's disease is dramatically decreased in the presence of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) aggregations. Exogenous angiogenin applied to dopamine-producing cells leads to the phosphorylation of PKB/AKT and the activation of this complex inhibits cleavage of caspase 3 and apoptosis when cells are exposed to a Parkinson's-like inducing substance.
Serbia, and in particular the valley of the Morava is often described as "the crossroads between the East and the West" – one of the primary reasons for its turbulent history. The valley is by far the easiest land route from continental Europe to Greece and Asia Minor. Major international highways going through Serbia were E75 and E70. E763/E761 was the most important route connecting Serbia with Montenegro. The Danube, an important international waterway, flowed through Serbia. The Port of Bar was the largest seaport located in Montenegro.
=== Deiodinases === Selenium also plays a role in the functioning of the thyroid gland. It participates as a cofactor for the three thyroid hormone deiodinases. These enzymes activate and then deactivate various thyroid hormones and their metabolites. It may inhibit Hashimoto's disease, an auto-immune disease in which the body's own thyroid cells are attacked by the immune system. A reduction of 21% on TPO antibodies was reported with the dietary intake of 0.2 mg of selenium.
Enzymes that use a metal in the active site are called "metallo-carboxypeptidases" (EC number 3.4.17). Other carboxypeptidases that use active site serine residues are called "serine carboxypeptidases" (EC number 3.4.16). Those that use an active site cysteine are called "cysteine carboxypeptidase" (or "thiol carboxypeptidases")(EC number 3.4.18). These names do not refer to the selectivity of the amino acid that is cleaved.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is the standard method, with detection in the ultraviolet range. Peak area percentage yields a purity figure for the main component. Mass spectrometry is normally run alongside to confirm molecular identity.
Dry lyophilised powder is generally kept at minus twenty degrees Celsius, protected from light and moisture. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided because they encourage aggregation and moisture uptake. Solutions are less stable than the solid form and degrade faster at room temperature.
A certificate documents what the supplier measured, not what an independent party confirmed. Methods, instruments and acceptance criteria can differ between suppliers. Third-party testing is the usual way to resolve discrepancies.
The sequence is Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, a seven-residue peptide. The first four residues correspond to the ACTH(4-10) fragment, and Pro-Gly-Pro is added at the C-terminus. N-acetylated versions also appear in the literature and differ in mass.