Anti-aging researchers around the world are curious about how to calculate the right epithalon dosage for their next experiment.
Epithalon is a short peptide that activates telomerase, and is recognized for its roles in:
- Promoting longevity and anti-aging
- Improving sleep quality
- Modulating antioxidant defense
Luckily, there are decades of research to back the use of this peptide, and dosing information is readily available to researchers.
In this educational guide, we include an epithalon dosage calculator and cover its documented benefits and safety profile.
Plus, we provide our recommendation on where to safely buy epithalon online at a fair price.
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What is Epithalon?
Epithalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the following amino acid makeup: alanine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and glycine. It derives from epithalamin, a crude polypeptide extracted from bovine pineal glands [1].
This pineal gland peptide was developed in the early 1980s under the oversight of Professor Vladimir Khavinson of the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. It has since been studied and lauded for its longevity promoting and anti-aging effects [1, 2, 3].
Epithalon works by upregulating telomerase activity and elongating telomeres, which are sections of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes and enable them to correctly replicate during cell division. This mechanism promotes indefinite cellular proliferation and helps to reverse the aging process, which is otherwise associated with telomere shortening [2, 3].
Licensed researchers may purchase research-grade epithalon online for scientific and educational purposes. While typically administered as a subcutaneous injection, epithalon is also available in nasal spray preparations.
Epithalon Benefits
It is worth noting that much of the research involving both epithalon and epithalamin has been conducted in Russia by Professor Khavinson and colleagues, and has not been independently confirmed. Further, much of the published research has yet to be translated into the English language [1].
Nevertheless, epithalon commands an impressive array of documented benefits when administered to research subjects, which we present below.
- Rosenfeld et al. (2002) observed an antimutagenic effect of epithalon when administered to senescence-accelerated mice. The researchers successfully used the peptide to
decrease levels of chromosome aberrations in the mice, observing that treatment with melatonin had no such effect [4]. - Khavinson et al. (2003) found that epithalon may extend lifespan in cell populations and whole organisms via its telomerase activity when introduced to telomerase-negative human fetal fibroblast cultures. This study paved the way for subsequent anti-aging research involving epithalon [5].
- Khavinson et al. (2003), in a human study, treated elderly human subjects with epithalamin for two to three years, noting a 1.6-1.8 fold decrease in mortality compared with a control group. The epithalamin-treated group also had reduced rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and osteoarthritis, compared to the control group participants [6].
- Korkushko et al. (2004) demonstrated that epithalamin can increase melatonin production in healthy elderly human subjects, via the peptide’s modulation of the pineal gland’s melatonin-producing function [7].
- Kossoy et al. (2006) noted the antimetastatic effect of epithalon, using the peptide to slow down the development of metastases from spontaneous tumors in female mice that were otherwise prone to reproductive organ tumors [8].
- Sibarov et al. (2007) found that intranasally administered epithalon significantly activated neuron activity in the cerebral cortex of white rats, presenting findings that the peptide may be of interest in clinical applications for the treatment of CNS activity impairments [9].
- Kozina et al. (2007) observed that pineal gland peptides, including epithalon, work to enhance antioxidant response in research subjects. The researchers notably found that epithalamin not only produces direct antioxidant effects, but also stimulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and ceruloplasmin [10].
- Korenevsky et al. (2013) used epithalon and melatonin to favorably influence reproductive function in both young and aging female rats that were exposed to harmful environmental factors like light pollution [11].
Epithalon Side Effects
Epithalon has a favorable safety profile with no major side effects having been associated with long-term administration of the peptide.
The strongest data to support the safety of epithalon comes from two 3-year epithalamin treatment trials in elderly adults, one of which had a 12-year follow-up [1, 12].
In the 15-year study, researchers noted not only a lack of adverse events in patients treated with epithalamin, but also found that patients treated with the peptide had “significantly lower mortality” compared to the patients in the control group [12].
Notwithstanding epithalon’s strong safety record, researchers should note that administering the peptide via subcutaneous injection may cause reactions like itching, swelling, pain, or inflammation at the injection site.
Researchers are thus advised to follow best practices when administering epithalon and rotate injection sites to lessen the risk of injection-related side effects.
Further, researchers are advised to source epithalon strictly from trusted vendors to avoid the risk of receiving a contaminated or low-purity product, which can pose further risk to the health of research subjects.
We discuss our preferred vendor of injectable epithalon in the penultimate section of this article.
Epithalon Dosage Calculator and Guide
Insofar as epithalon is treated as a research chemical, it lacks the type of dosing recommendations that are typically given for officially approved drugs.
However, the International Peptide Society has published two epithalon dosing protocols based on the extensive work of Professor Khavinson and colleagues.
Either protocol may be administered twice annually for longevity and anti-aging purposes, and are respectively known as the “Russian Protocol” and the “Ukrainian Protocol” [2].
The Russian Protocol is the shorter and more intensive of the two, and is as follows:
- Total Required: 100mg epithalon
- Dosing Schedule: Administer 10mg of epithalon daily, in one subcutaneous injection or split between two subcutaneous injections. For twice-daily administration, administer in the AM and at bedtime.
- Duration of Therapy: 10 days
- Additional Notes: This protocol is designed to be administered up to twice per year. Each 10-day course should be followed by a pause of at least four months.
The Ukrainian Protocol, requiring half the total epithalon dosage, is as follows:
- Total Required: 50mg epithalon
- Dosing Schedule: Administer 10mg epithalon via subcutaneous injection on days 1, 5, 9, 13, and 17 of the therapy period.
- Duration of Therapy: 17 days
- Additional Notes: This protocol is designed to be administered up to twice per year. Each 17-day course should be followed by a pause of at least four months.
Notably, a 100mg epithalon course following the Russian Protocol requires two 50mg epithalon vials, while a 50mg epithalon course following the Ukrainian Protocol requires just one 50mg epithalon vial.
Injectable epithalon is available in 50mg vials through our preferred vendor, who we discuss in the next section.
Where to Buy Epithalon Online? | 2023 Edition
Licensed researchers may purchase epithalon online as a research chemical from any number of vendors.
While choice is generally a good thing, researchers will find a wide discrepancy in peptide quality and overall customer experience between the various vendors.
At Peptides.org, our go-to supplier of injectable epithalon is Peptide Sciences, a top provider of highly purified peptides for scientific research and development.
Here is why this vendor stands a cut above the rest:
- High-Purity Epithalon: Peptide Sciences ensures that their epithalon meets a standard of 99%+ purity, sending all batches to a third-party lab for state-of-the-art HPLC-MS testing. The vendor then publishes all relevant lab reports online, giving researchers peace of mind when they shop here.
- Fair Pricing: Currently, the vendor offers 50mg epithalon vials at $215 each, which is good value for research-grade epithalon made in the USA. Further, researchers who wish to order three or more can take advantage of discounts.
- Convenient Payments: The vendor accepts all major credit cards (by Mesh payments), select cryptocurrencies, electronic check, and Zelle, among a variety of other secure payment options.
- Fast U.S. Shipping: Orders of $200+ within the United States ship free and usually arrive in 2-3 business days. The vendor also serves select international destinations, subject to variable shipping costs and fees.
- Customer Care: Peptide Sciences is constantly praised for its professional and helpful customer care team, which is available by email and takes about 1-2 business days to respond to customer questions.
Between its high-purity peptides, reasonable prices, and customer-oriented approach, Peptide Sciences is easily our top pick for sourcing epithalon online.
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Bacteriostatic Water For Injection
Researchers must have access to a standard set of lab supplies when handling peptides such as epithalon.
Proper methods of peptide injection, storage, and prep call for bacteriostatic water, sterile vials, insulin syringes, and other lab essentials.
What is your best source for the full set of necessary tools when handling research peptides?
The experts at Peptides.org are excited to give you our top recommendation for all your supply needs.
Get equipped like a pro with a superior research supply kit from our go-to retailer. The convenient packages from BacteriostaticWater.org save researchers the time and energy of shopping across various vendors and navigating low-quality products. Check out their excellent catalog.
An order of the popular starter research kit provides:
- Bacteriostatic Water (30mL) – 3x
- Insulin Syringes (0.5 cc/mL x 29g x ½) – 100x
- Alcohol Prep Pads – 200x
- Sterile Empty Glass Vial (10mL) – 1x
- Large Needles + Syringes Combo (3cc x 21g x 1) – 10x
To fully stock up on essentials, select the premium research kit, including:
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- Insulin Syringes (0.5 cc/mL x 29g x ½) – 200x
- Alcohol Prep Pads – 200x
- Sterile Empty Glass Vial (10mL) – 2x
- Large Needles + Syringes Combo (3cc x 21g x 1) – 20x
Don’t let supply challenges hinder your peptide research. Order a kit from our most recommended source to receive your lab essentials.
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Epithalon Dosing | Verdict
Epithalon is a well-studied pineal gland peptide with documented benefits like enhanced sleep, elevated antioxidant protection, and most significantly, increased longevity in research subjects.
Long-term studies on elderly human participants have demonstrated epithalon’s favorable safety profile, although it remains a research chemical outside of Russia.
The peptide is typically administered via subcutaneous injection, and therapy may consist of two short courses per year, following either the 100mg Russian Protocol or the 50mg Ukrainian Protocol.
Anti-aging researchers are well-advised to buy epithalon from a vetted research chemical vendor like Peptide Sciences.