Expression of differentiation markers was found to be reduced during ageing of pancreatic cells. Tetrapeptide pancragen stimulates the expression of differentiation factors of acinar (Pdx1, Ptfla) and islet of Langerhans (Pdx1, Pax6, Pax4, Foxa2, NKx2.2) cells in "young" and " aged" cultures. Differentiation of acinar and islet pancreatic cells induced by pancragen can be a mechanism underlying its anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, transcription factors that regulate differentiation of pancreatic cells are a pharmacological target for pancragen, which allows considering it as an effective tool in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis.

We studied molecular mechanisms of immunoprotective effects of two dipeptides, AB-O and R-1, on cultured human and rat thymic cells. Both dipeptides were shown to increase the expression of lymphocyte differentiation marker CD5 in thymic cells. Dipeptide AB-O induced T-cells precursor differentiation towards CD4(+)T-helpers and its effect was weaker than that of dipeptide R-1. Dipeptide R-1 stimulates differentiation of CD5(+) cells to mature T-helpers and cytotoxic CD8(+) T cells and hence can be considered as a bioactive substance possessing immunomodulator and antiallergic activity.

No abstract

We studied the effect of polypeptide complex isolated from calf kidney and short peptides T-31 (AED) and T-35 (EDL) on the expression of signaling molecules, markers of cell renewal (Ki-67, p53), remodeling of the extracellular matrix (MMP-14), and immune response (IL-8) in primary kidney cell cultures during aging. The complex of renal polypeptides and T-31 peptide activate cell renewal processes during aging of the renal epithelium, while gelatinase MMP-14 is the target of T-35 peptide.