Tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro affects rat-brain transcriptome during focal ischemia

Tripeptide Pro-Gly-Pro (PGP) belongs to the group of biologically active regulatory peptides that are resistant to peptidases. This makes it possible to use it as a C-terminal fragment of peptide agents Semax and Selank. In recent years, the independent effects of PGP were revealed. The question was raised of whether PGP contributes to the action of pharmaceutical agents that contain this peptide as a fragment. Genome-wide analysis was performed to examine the PGP impacts on the transcriptome of rat cerebral cortex in experimental ischemia. We compared the gene expression levels in animals exposed to ischemia and PGP and in rats of the ischemia control group in 3 and 24 h after the permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. The altered expression of 29 genes was detected in 3 h, while the altered expression of 57 genes was detected in 24 h. The proteins encoded by these genes fulfill various functions, such as cytokines, transport proteins, transcription factors, transmembrane receptors, etc. Biological processes associated with the genes with altered expression under experimental conditions were determined. It was shown that PGP affects a number of processes involved in the functioning of various body systems. The expression of genes associated with the immune response process changed most significantly a day after the occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. The predominant effect of the suppression of the expression of the immune system genes was observed.