The effect of the amino acids and cardiogen on the development of myocard tissue culture from young and old rats

This study investigated the effects of Cardiogen (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg), a bioregulatory tetrapeptide developed at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, on myocardial tissue cultures obtained from young and old rats. The work is part of Vladimir Khavinson's school, which proposes that short peptides can regulate gene expression and delay tissue aging.

The results showed that Cardiogen exerted a pronounced stimulatory effect on myocardial cell proliferation in both young and aged tissue. In cardiac tissue cultures from old rats — which normally exhibit lower proliferative capacity — the peptide promoted a significant increase in the proliferation index, partially reversing the age-associated decline.

The proposed mechanism involves the decrease in p53 expression, a tumor suppressor protein that is also one of the main regulators of cellular apoptosis. The Cardiogen-mediated reduction in p53 indicates inhibition of the apoptotic process in myocardial tissue, favoring cell survival and maintenance of the functional mass of cardiac muscle. This modulation of apoptosis is particularly relevant in the aging myocardium, where progressive loss of cardiomyocytes contributes to heart failure.

The study contributes to the understanding of how bioregulatory peptides of only 4 amino acids can influence fundamental cellular processes such as proliferation and apoptosis in a tissue-specific manner. Cardiogen demonstrated potential as a cardiac geroprotective agent, with implications for preventing age-associated myocardial deterioration.