Time course of the expression of genes of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in the hippocampus and frontal cortex induced by semax in rats

Semax is a synthetic peptide consisting of the ACTH fragment (4–7) and the C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro peptide. It promotes neuron survival during hypoxia and increases selcective attention and memory consolidation. It has been shown that semax influences the expression of some genes, particularly nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In the present study, we performed an analysis of the time course of the expression of NGF and BDNF genes in the hippocampus and frontal cortex in rats after a single intranasal administration of semax at a dose of 50 μg/kg. We found that semax administration resulted in a rapid long-term activation of the NGF and BDNF genes expression, which was specific for different rat brain structures investigated.