Dihexa

Overall Health Benefits of Dihexa

• Treats Alzheimer’s disease [1-8]
• Combats Parkinson’s disease [9-14]
• Improves learning and memory retention [15-25]
• Improves stroke recovery [26-29]
• Accelerates recovery from spinal cord injury and nerve damage [30-34]
• Protects against hearing loss [35]

What is Dihexa?

Dihexa, also known as N-hexanoic-Tyr-Ile-(6) aminohexanoic amideor PNB-0408, is a relatively new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cognitive impairment. Unlike other drugs for AD, this potent nootropic does not only impede the progression of the disease but it actually repairs the damage in the synapse (junction) between neurons. Because of its regenerative properties, most medical professionals prescribe Dihexa for the treatment of a wide array of medical conditions that affect cognitive function.

How Dihexa Works?

By binding to hepatocyte growth factor (also known as HGF, c-Met or tyrosine-protein kinase Met), Dihexa increases HGF’s activity while lowering harmful chemical reactions in the body. This in turn doubles the capacity of the available growth factors to promote signaling cascades necessary for cell development and regeneration.

Chemical Structure of Dihexa

Research on Dihexa

Treats Alzheimer’s Disease

There is increasing evidence that Dihexa may help treat not only the symptoms of AD but the root cause of the disease itself. Studies show that Dihexa exerts its beneficial effects on AD through various important mechanisms:

1. Dihexa activates the c-Met receptor which in turn stimulates mitogenesis (cell division), motogenesis (promotion of cellular motility), morphogenesis (structural development), neurogenesis (growth and development of nervous tissue), production of stem cells, and protection of a wide range of cells against injury. [1-2]
2. Dihexa induces the development of dendritic spines in neurons of the brain. [3]
3. Activation of HGF by Dihexa augments synaptic connectivity, protects neurons from underlying death inducers, and promotes renewal of lost neurons. [4]
4. Dihexa may actually prevent and improve symptoms of AD by decreasing the production of amyloid beta peptide, which are abnormal protein structures that cause the disease. [5]
5. In aged rat models, Dihexa administration improves synaptogenic activity. [6-7]
6. In rats with reduced blood flow to the brain, administration of Angiotensin IV such as Dihexa suppresses inflammation. [8]

Combats Parkinson’s Disease

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder that destroys dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain, can also benefit from Dihexa supplementation. Studies show that this powerful nootropic can help combat PD through various mechanisms:

1. Dihexa can help treat PD symptoms by augmenting synaptic connectivity via the formation of new functional synapses. [9]
2. Activation of the HGF/c-Met system by Dihexa stimulates protection and restoration of neurons in the brain. [10]
3. In patients with PD, HGF promoted the survival and migration of immature neurons in the brain. [11]
4. In a PD lesion model, Dihexa administration improved behavioral deficits. [12]
5. Gene transfer of human hepatocyte growth factor in a rodent model of PD prevented neuronal death, suggesting that Dihexa activation of HGF can be a potential novel therapy for PD. [13]
6. Dihexa along with Angiotensin IV can prevent the progression of PD by increasing the production of dopamine. [14]

Improves Learning and Memory Retention

According to studies, this powerful nootropic also has memory-enhancing properties that can benefit people with memory problems associated with aging and neurodegenerative disorders:

1. Dihexa shows promise in treating memory and motor dysfunctions by enhancing synaptic connectivity through the formation of new functional synapses. [15]
2. In rats, oral Dihexa administration at a dose of 2 mg/kg per day improved memory retention and performance in the Morris water maze test. [16]
3. Administration of Angiotensin IV-related peptides such as Dihexa in rats reversed scopolamine-induced deficits in Morris water maze performance. [17]
4. Dihexa and Angiotensin IV-related peptides are involved in spatial memory processing, and that activation of their binding sites can help combat spatial memory disruption. [18-19]
5. In rats with Alzheimer’s-like mental impairment, Dihexa supplementation improved memory retention by building new brain cell connections. [20]
6. In rats, HGF activation by Dihexa prevented learning and memory dysfunction after sustained cerebral ischemia (decreased blood flow to the brain) by protecting against injury to brain neurons. [21]
7. Dihexa administration in rats improved performance in a series of tests related to learning and memory. [22]
8. Dihexa exerts its cognitive-enhancing effects by increasing the production of acetylcholine and/or dopamine. [23]
9. In a mouse model of cognitive impairment, oral administration with Dihexa restored spatial learning and cognitive functions in the Morris water maze test. [24]
10. In animal models of cognitive deficit, Dihexa improved performance on spatial working memory and passive avoidance tasks. [25]

Improves Stroke Recovery

There’s also a great deal of evidence supporting the ability of Dihexa to accelerate recovery from stroke:

1. In a mouse model of stroke, activation of HGF induced long-term neuroprotection and stroke recovery. [26]
2. Pharmacological doses of Angiotensin IV-related peptides such as Dihexa are protective against acute cerebral ischemia. [27]
3. Dihexa can help prevent stroke by increasing blood flow to the brain. [28]
4. In rats with stroke caused by cerebral artery occlusion, Dihexa administration prevented programmed cell death of brain cells. [29]

Accelerates Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury and Nerve Damage

Numerous studies also found that Dihexa has the ability to treat the most debilitating nervous system injuries – spinal cord injury and nerve damage:

1. By activating HGF, Dihexa may retard progression of spinal cord injury caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). [30]
2. Patients with ALS especially those in advanced disease stage have disruption of the neuronal HGF-c-Met system, suggesting that Dihexa may play a part in preventing cellular degeneration and programmed cell death of spinal motor neurons. [31-32]
3. In an animal model of spinal cord injury, Dihexa administration accelerated functional recovery. [33]
4. In a rat with damage to the sciatic nerve (largest nerve in the body located in the spinal cord), Dihexa (2-4 mg/kg body weight) administration via hydrogel and injection promoted limb function recovery. [34]

Protects against Hearing Loss

Evidence found that Dihexa can help protect against hearing loss caused by toxins:

1. In the larval zebrafish, the administration of Dihexa at a concentration of 1 μM provided optimal protection against hearing loss caused by the toxic medications neomycin and gentamicin. [35]

Associated Side Effects of Dihexa

Dihexa side effects are very uncommon. There have been some side effects associated with the use of this drug wherein the patient had one of the issues listed below at some point while being on Dihexa. However, the issue wasn’t’ confirmed to be caused by the treatment and could have been a coincidence and not related to the use of Dihexa. Despite this, it was listed as a side effect associated with Dihexa even these associated side effects are very uncommon.

Side effects associated with Dihexa may include the following:

• Anxiety
• Change of taste
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Nausea

References

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