What it is
Testagen is a peptide made of 4 amino acids: lysine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and glycine. It is made in a lab. It was built from the amino acid makeup of peptides from the front part of the pituitary gland. It is part of Vladimir Khavinson's family of short peptides. It is sold in Russia as a supplement. Sellers often say it supports the testes or testosterone. No published study has tested that. It differs from Livagen by only the last amino acid. See the Epithalon entry for the peptide it was tested beside. Other names: KEDG, Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly.
What researchers study it for
- Thyroid hormones in birds with the pituitary gland removed
- Thymus structure in birds
- Immune and blood clotting measures in birds
- How short peptides get into cells
What the studies found
1. Thyroid hormones partly recovered in chicks with no pituitary gland.
The pituitary gland tells the thyroid to make hormones. A 2008 study removed the pituitary gland from newborn chicks. Chicks given Testagen for 40 days had higher thyroid hormone levels. Their thyroid glands looked closer to normal. Bird data only.
2. The effect was weaker in old hens.
A 2011 study compared young chickens and old hens, all with the pituitary gland removed. Testagen and Epithalon both reduced hormone and thyroid changes. The effect on hormones was smaller in old hens. Bird data only.
3. The thymus recovered its structure in birds.
The thymus is where T cells mature. A 2013 study found that removing the pituitary gland damaged the thymus in birds. Testagen helped the thymus recover in young and old birds. It worked better than Epithalon on this measure. Bird data only.
4. Computer models show it could enter cells through transport proteins.
A 2023 computer study tested how well 26 short peptides fit three proteins cells use to pull in amino acids and small peptides. Testagen was one of the best fits. This offers a possible way it gets inside cells. Computer data only.
How much research exists
A small set of bird studies from one lab in Chita, Russia, plus one computer study. No study in mammals. No study on the testes or testosterone. No human trial has been published.
Facts
- Formula: C17H29N5O9
- Weight: about 447 g/mol
- CAS number: none found
- Sequence: Lys-Glu-Asp-Gly
- Time in the blood: never measured
- Storage: powder in the freezer.
Legal status
Not approved by the FDA or any other agency as a drug. Sold as a supplement in Russia.
For research use only. Not for human use. Nothing here is medical advice.