1. Dipeptide Preparation Noopept Prevents Scopolamine-Induced Deficit of Spatial Memory in BALB/c Mice
A. P. Belnik, R. U. Ostrovskaya, and I. I. Poletaeva*. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 143, No. 4,April, 2007
More than 30 new compounds that belong to a group of acyl-proline dipeptides were developed. Much attention was paid to ethyl ester of N-phe-nylacetyl-L-prolylglycine (GVS-11), which received the name Noopept. This nootropics improves active avoidance lear-ning. The effect of Noopept on learning was also demonstrated in conditioned passive avoidance pa-radigm under normal conditions and during me-mory disorders induced by cholinergic or glutamat-ergic receptor antagonists. Experiments with isolated neurons from edible snail proved the sen-sitizing effect of Noopept on cholinergic synaptic transmission.
2. Immunopharmacological Properties of Noopept
L. P. Kovalenko, E. V. Shipaeva, S. V. Alekseeva, A. V. Pronin*. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 144, No. 1, 2007
The dose—effect relationship for noopept is described by a double-humped dome—shaped curve with peaks of antiamnestic effects at doses of 0.5-0.8 and 10 mg/kg. The resistance of the dipeptide to enterocyte brush border enzymes de-termines its efficiency after oral administration; the neuroprotective effects of noopept are more pro-nounced after parenteral administration (injections). In light of this, noopept was administered intra-venously, intramuscularly, and per osin doses of 0.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg. The effects of noopept on cellular immune response, specifically, on delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction and phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages (absorption of Indian ink particles) were studied in experiments on (CBA×C57Bl/6)F1 mice. For evaluation of spon-taneous and mitogens-induced proliferation of sple-nocyte from (CBA×C57Bl/6)F1 mice, aseptically pre-pared splenocyte suspension was cultured in a CO2-incubator for 72 h and the cells were transferred onto fiberglass filters (Whatman) using a harvester (Flow). Radioactivity was counted on a scintillation β-counter (in collaboration with N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow).
3. Noopept Efficiency in Experimental Alzheimer Disease (Cognitive Deficiency Caused by β-Amyloid25-35 Injection into Meynert Basal Nuclei of Rats)
R. U. Ostrovskaya, A. P. Belnik, and Z. I. Storozheva*. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 146, No. 1, 2008
Thus, this study confirmed previously descri-bed failure of CPAR reproduction after bilateral injection of Aβ25-35 in Meynert basal nuclei of rats. Experiments showed that neurodegenerative changes in Meynert nucleus, frontal cortex, and hippocampus start manifesting 1 week after Aβ25-35 injection and persist for up to 4 weeks. This ex-plains a pronounced memory deficiency during tes-ting 4 weeks after injection in our experiment. It was found that prophylactic injections of noopept prevented the development of amnestic effect of the amyloid. Delayed normalizing aftereffect of noopept is worthy of note: the interval between the last injection of the drug and testing was 24 days. A less pronounced, but clear-cut normalizing effect of noopept on the capacity to extract memory tra-ces was noted after its therapeutic course, started 15 days after damage. The data indicate that noo-pept in this therapeutic model is characterized by a large “therapeutic window”.
4. Effect of Noopept and Afobazole on the Development of Neurosis of Learned Helplessness in Rats
A. A. Uyanaev, V. P. Fisenko, and N. K. Khitrov. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 136, No. 2,August, 2003
Control rats were characterized by moderate unlear-ning in the test of CAAR. The incidence of LH, ALP, and number of correct instrumental reactions (CR) in these animals were 55.6%, 3.4 sec, and 11.2%, respec-tively. Noopept increased locomotor, orientation, and exploratory activity of rats. In a dose of 0.1 mg/kg this drug increased the number of CR to 18.7% (vs. 11.2% in the control). Thus, the animals displayed a lower number of incorrect lever pressings. ALP decreased from 3.4 to 1.2 sec. Neurosis of LH developed in only 16.6% rats (vs.55.6% in the control). Noopept in doses of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg had no effect on the number of CR. Behaviorally, the animals were more active. Noo-pept in a dose of 0.05 mg/kg reduced ALP to 1.9 sec; the number of CR was 45.4%. The reference prepara-tion piracetam in a dose of 100 mg/kg produced simi-lar effects. The number of CR was 15.4%. Piracetam decreased ALP and the incidence of LH to 1.6 sec and 28.6%, respectively. No significant changes were ob-served after treatment with piracetam in a dose of 300 mg/kg. The positive effect of piracetam became less pronounced after increasing its dose to 500 mg/kg. The number of CR and the incidence of LH were 8.4 and 63.6%, respectively. Probably, increasing the dose of piracetam to 500 mg/kg was accompanied by inver-sion of the nootropic effect into anxiolytic activity. In this dose piracetam increases pain threshold and sup-presses behavioral activity directed at avoidance of electrical stimulation. Noopept also possesses nootro-pic and anxiolytic properties.