Peptide Research

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Maxim Peptide

Peptides are amino acid chains that are developed by creating amide bonds, more commonly referred to as peptide
bonds given their prevalence in this structure. If these chains form enough bonds and create a large enough
structure they can create proteins, which are found in all forms of life on Earth. Different types of proteins and
peptides are found in different types of organisms, and in some cases the same peptide may be found in a variety
of species but take on different reactions based on the physiology of the organism. While the term peptide is
commonly reserved for smaller amino acid chains, they may be referred to as glutathione or small tripeptides when
referring to chemicals specifically created naturally within the human body.
here has been an increase in the focus of peptide research in recent years. While initially research surrounding
peptides focused on identifying peptides present in animals and their natural reactions.
!s researchers worldwide are developing an increased understanding of which peptides are present in a variety of
species and how these reactions can be triggered with a variety of applications, research is being altered to better
understand how harvesting and applying these peptides to an animal without a stimulus within the body will affect
bodily functions. his is performed both by harvesting peptides from an animal"s blood stream after they are
triggered and creating a bonded chemical which mimics the structure of a natural peptide.
Storing Peptides during Research
#ong term storage of peptides during research should be undertaken with great care to ensure the stability of the
product, ma$imi%ing the potential for uniform results throughout the testing period.
In general, long term storage of peptides is somewhat problematic as peptides are designed to break down for
use in a variety of bodily functions when they are e$posed to the elements, or e$posed to bodily tissues after
application. &any peptides have been altered to increase stability both during storage and after application'
though these altered peptides may show alternative reactions to their natural counterparts.
In general, lyophili%ed peptides have higher stability than other types of chemicals, which makes these ideal for
research that will be ongoing for years at a time. #yophili%ates can be stored for years if kept at ()* degrees
+elsius or lower with no signs of degradation. ,owever, once these peptides have been reconstituted into a
solution their stability is significantly more limited.
Peptides are susceptible to degradation when e$posed to any items of bacterial or protease origin, so a filtration
system used after reconstitution increases the risk of damage to these solutions. !ny peptide solutions used
should be carefully stored in containers that have been saniti%ed to further reduce the risk of degradation before
they can be applied to animal test sub-ects. .terili%ed water is an ideal material for reconstitution for this reason.
Peptides that contain residues of tryptophan or methionine are at risk for o$idation which can cause impurities
even if the solution is not e$posed to microbial agents. In order to reduce or eliminate this risk, peptides that
contain these amino acids should be reconstituted using o$ygen free solvents.
When determining the p, of the peptide solution for application in animal test sub-ects, most peptides will maintain
more stability when kept in an acidic environment. It is generally recommended to mi$ peptide solutions at a p, of
/(0 but solutions of peptides that are fro%en in ali1uots should be sub-ected to as few free%e(thaw cycles as
possible. Reconstituted peptides should also be relyophili%ed to help ensure the highest level of stability possible.
Peptide Reactions in Female Test Subjects
&any peptides have been used in research for building muscle and increasing the si%e of an animal which naturally
lends itself to male physiology, but new research is attempting to understand how these peptides affect female
physiology as well.
&any peptides are designed to create a pulse of growth hormone in the body which can then be controlled to
create reactions within the animal. &ale animals have three main growth hormone pulses from their pituitary
gland, the largest of which occurs at night. With a basic understanding of this, researchers are able to stimulate
or manipulate these pulses to create reactions as desired.
2emale animals appear to have a continuous amount of growth hormone in their system with slightly elevated
levels in the plasma. herefore, many of the methods used in traditional research, stimulating the pituitary gland
to create bursts of growth hormone are largely ineffective when applied to female animal test sub-ects.
3nly certain peptides have been found to be particularly effective in creating reactions in female test sub-ects if
the ultimate end goal is to create substantiated growth. he first is con-ugated CJC 1295, an h4, secretogue
that contains an additional lysine molecule that will help with facilitating a D!+ comple$ so that the peptide has
an 5 day half(life.
! single application of +6+ )789 has been found to mimic the normal growth hormone pulsate cycle of a female
animal by signaling growth hormone releasing hormone to increase the amount of peptide that individual cells
secrete.
he second peptide that appears to be effective in working along with the natural female growth hormone cycle
is 4,RP(based peptides, particularly ghrelin or 4,RP(0. hese peptides can act on different somatotrope cells
which are responsible for releasing growth hormone by increasing the number of these cells that are releasing
growth hormone at any given time. his will not increase the amount of growth hormone that is produced by the
cells like +6+ )789, so these peptides may be applied to animal test sub-ects simultaneously if need be.
here are a variety of other peptides that are regularly applied to female animals in addition to these two peptides.
&uch of this research focuses on the differences in reactions that are seen when these peptides interact with an
alternative growth hormone cycle. .ome peptides are also designed for use in vivo or in vitro which helps to
eliminate the difference in reaction that could eliminate the effectiveness of peptides in other circumstances.
Creating Research Solutions
When reconstituting a peptide, care should be taken to ensure that the proper environment is created to stabili%e
the product.
In general, peptides can be mi$ed with bacteriostatic water without risk, though peptide manufacturers will
typically specify any additional li1uids that are recommended for this purpose. here is one e$ception to this
rule, as I42 peptides should only be reconstituted with acetic acid.
Peptide solutions can be made stronger or weaker as necessary based on the amount of li1uid that is added to
the syringe prior to the application. !s long as the total amount of the solution is not changed throughout the
application process there should be no alteration in the behavior or stability of the chemical.
Peptide solutions are typically measured using micrograms, which should remain constant throughout the
application process. !ny peptide solutions should be kept refrigerated until the moment they will be applied as
these solutions begin to lose stability rapidly after they are reconstituted.
&ost solutions cannot last longer than 7 weeks in this state, but the vial should contain any instructions regarding
how long they should last and what sings you should check for before applying the solution to an animal test
sub-ect to ensure that the peptide will behave as necessary for the nature of your e$periment.
Resource Bo!
http:;;onlinelibrary.wiley.com;doi;)*.)*/<;-.)/88(/*)).)888.**)7/.$;abstract