The ACTH(4-7)analogue Semax administered intraperitoneally in a dose of 50 microg/kg 1 h before exposure to ulcerogenic factors (ethanol, water immersion immobilization stress) protected gastric mucosa from damage. Postoperative treatment with Semax for 5 days after application of glacial acetic acid on the mucosa prevented acetic acid-induced ulcers and promoted their healing. The antiulcer effects of Semax in the studied dose were comparable with those of tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro in a dose of 1 mg/kg.

Main pathways of degradation of PGP peptide possessing antiulcer and antithrombotic activities were studied after its intraperitoneal, intragastric, and intraintestinal administration. In experiments on rabbits we showed by HPLC that unmodified PGP is released into the blood after administration by all three routes and is detected in the plasma over 3-5 h. PG dipeptide is a more stable PGP metabolite presumably determining (together with tripeptide) its pharmacological properties.

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