MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Educational research guidelines only. Lyophilized peptides are investigational chemical compounds and are NOT approved for human consumption, diagnosis, or therapy. Consult a licensed physician before any research application.
Visoluten Dosage Chart, Schedule & Reconstitution Protocol
Quickstart Highlights
Visoluten (Eye Cytomax A-11) is an oral retina peptide bioregulator from Vladimir Khavinson's short-peptide program: a complex of low-molecular-weight peptides extracted from calf retina, sold as 10 mg capsules for visual-system support. It is grouped with the Khavinson bioregulators, short peptides proposed to enter cells and normalize tissue-specific gene expression and protein synthesis in retinal and pigment-epithelial tissue (PMID 34834147, PMID 32019204). Most retina-specific evidence comes from its injectable sibling Retinalamin and the synthetic analog Epitalon, which improved electroretinographic activity in retinitis pigmentosa models and patients (PMID 12195242, PMID 12937684), not from the Visoluten capsule itself. The typical real-world Visoluten dosage is 10-20 mg/day orally in 10-30 day courses; the subcutaneous reconstitution figures here are an educational reference only. Visoluten is not FDA- or EMA-approved and is sold for research or supplement use, so this page is a factual reference, not medical advice.
Reconstitute: Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water → 10 mg/mL concentration.
Typical dose: 2.5-5 mg/day SC reference; 10-20 mg/day oral (2 caps)
Easy measuring: At 10 mg/mL, 1 unit = 0.01 mL = 0.1 mg (100 mcg) on a U-100 insulin syringe.
Storage: Lyophilized/capsule material: store at -20 °C long term, or 2-8 °C for short periods, protected from light and moisture. Once reconstituted for the educational reference, keep refrigerated at 2-8 °C and use within about 3-4 weeks; capsules should be kept dry at room temperature per the supplier label.
Half-life: Not formally characterized; as a complex of small peptides it is hydrolyzed within minutes, with effects attributed to downstream gene expression rather than circulating peptide.
Route: Real-world route is oral (10 mg enteric capsules, 10-20 mg/day); the subcutaneous reconstitution on this page is an educational modeling reference only.
Status: Not FDA- or EMA-approved; sold as a research compound/supplement. Injectable sibling Retinalamin is a registered drug only in Russia and nearby countries.
About Visoluten
Visoluten is the oral "A-11" retina peptide bioregulator (Eye Cytomax) from the Khavinson short-peptide family, studied for its proposed ability to normalize gene expression and protein synthesis in retinal and pigment-epithelial tissue [2][4]. In real-world use this is a capsule taken by mouth, 10 mg of peptide complex per capsule; the subcutaneous reconstitution math below is an educational reference modeled on the injectable retina peptide (Retinalamin) and is not a validated route for Visoluten. There are no published human trials of the Visoluten capsule itself, so every figure here is illustrative only and not medical advice.\n\nEducational guide for Visoluten reconstitution and short-course dosing.\n\nFrequency: Inject once daily subcutaneously during a short course of roughly 10 days, with courses typically repeated two to three times per year in the bioregulator literature [7]. Reconstituting a 20 mg vial with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water yields 10 mg/mL, so a 2.5-5 mg educational dose corresponds to 25-50 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. The oral capsule equivalent commonly cited is 10-20 mg/day (two capsules), taken 15-30 minutes before meals.
Quick Protocol Navigation
Reconstitution Instruction & Mixing Step-by-Step
Lyophilized powder must be reconstituted carefully. Agitating peptide chains can shear disulfide bonds and render the peptide biologically inert.
Draw 2 mL of bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe.
Inject it slowly down the inner wall of the 20 mg Visoluten vial; do not spray it directly onto the lyophilized powder.
Gently swirl or roll the vial until the powder fully dissolves into a clear solution; never shake, which can shear the peptide and cause foaming.
The result is 10 mg/mL, so 2.5 mg is 25 units (0.25 mL) and 5 mg is 50 units (0.50 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe; swab the stopper and draw your daily dose.
Inject subcutaneously once daily during the course, store the vial refrigerated at 2-8 °C between uses, and discard after the stability window (about 3-4 weeks). Note that the real Visoluten product is an oral capsule, so this reconstitution is an educational reference only.
Interactive Visoluten Syringe Calculator
Currently visualizing the 20 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL bacteriostatic water. Adjust the target dose to dynamically render syringe units.
Reconstitution Calculation: 20mg dry powder in 2mL water yields 10.00 mg/mL. To evaluate a 250mcg dose, pull to 2.5 units (3 syringe ticks).
U-100 Syringe Representation
Educational reference visual. Assumes standard U-100 insulin syringe where 1.0 mL volume = 100 units.
Titration & Dose Escalation Schedules
| Phase | Dose per injection | Units (per injection) |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative course (days 1-10) | 2500 mcg (2.5 mg) | 25 units (0.25 mL) |
| Standard course (days 1-10) | 5000 mcg (5 mg) | 50 units (0.50 mL) |
Administration guidelines: Refer to guidelines | 2 mL Reconstitution
Research Supplies Quantity Planner
Scientific mathematical planning of syringes, bacteriostatic water and dry vials needed for extended research blocks using the 20 mg vial.
Peptide Vials (Visoluten, 20 mg each):
- checkOne 10-day course at the standard 5 mg/day uses about 3 vials (a conservative 2.5 mg/day course uses about 2 vials).
- check8-week window (about 2 short courses): roughly 5 vials.
- check12-week window (about 3 short courses): roughly 8 vials.
- check16-week window (about 4 short courses): roughly 10 vials.
Insulin Syringes (U-100):
- checkOne 0.5 mL (50-unit) syringe per daily injection, about 10 per 10-day course.
- check8-week window: roughly 20 syringes.
- check12-week window: roughly 30 syringes.
- check16-week window: roughly 40 syringes.
Bacteriostatic Water (30 mL bottles): Use 2 mL per vial for reconstitution.
- checkEach reconstituted 20 mg vial uses 2 mL, so one course (about 3 vials) uses roughly 6 mL.
- check8-week window: about 10 mL, comfortably within one 30 mL bottle.
- check12-week window: about 16 mL, still within one 30 mL bottle.
- check16-week window: about 20 mL; one 30 mL bottle is sufficient if used before expiry.
Alcohol Swabs: Use one to clean the vial stopper and one per injection site.
- checkAbout 2 swabs per daily injection, roughly 20 per 10-day course.
- check8-week window: roughly 40 swabs.
- check12-week window: roughly 60 swabs.
- check16-week window: roughly 80 swabs; a single box of 100 covers most courses.
Mechanism of Action (MOA)
Visoluten is the trade name for the oral "A-11" retina cytomax, a complex of low-molecular-weight peptides isolated from the retinal tissue of young calves within Vladimir Khavinson's bioregulation framework at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology [2][7]. It is the over-the-counter sibling of the injectable retina polypeptide preparation Retinalamin and is mechanistically allied with the synthetic retina-active tetrapeptide Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly). These belong to a class of di-, tri-, and tetrapeptides that, unlike conventional peptide hormones, are not thought to act through cell-surface receptors. Instead, the prevailing hypothesis is that these very short, charged peptides are small enough to enter the cytoplasm and nucleus, where they bind specific nucleotide sequences in gene promoters and interact with histone proteins, modulating transcription of a defined, tissue-specific set of genes [2][4]. In this model Visoluten behaves as an epigenetic-style regulator that helps "switch on" retina-appropriate gene programs rather than supplying a signaling ligand.\n\nThe peptide pool is reported to be selective for ocular tissue. Preclinical work on the retina-active members of this family describes tissue-specific stimulation of proliferation in cultured retinal and pigment-epithelial cells, preservation of retinal morphology, and intensified bioelectric and functional activity on electroretinography (ERG) in dystrophic retina models such as Campbell rats and in retinitis pigmentosa patients [1][3]. A 2020 study of the AEDG analog further showed preferential binding to histones H1/3 and H1/6 and up-regulation of differentiation genes and protein synthesis, lending experimental plausibility to the nuclear, epigenetic mechanism proposed for the whole class [4]. It must be stressed that almost all of this evidence comes from the injectable Retinalamin or the synthetic Epitalon, not from the Visoluten capsule itself, and originates largely from a single research lineage; no independent human pharmacology of Visoluten exists.\n\nPharmacokinetics have not been formally characterized for Visoluten. As a complex of small unmodified peptides it is expected to be rapidly hydrolyzed by gastrointestinal, plasma, and tissue peptidases, giving a free-peptide plasma half-life on the order of minutes; any sustained effect is attributed to downstream changes in gene expression rather than to continued presence of the intact peptides. Oral bioavailability of such peptides is low because of gut proteolysis, which is why the product is supplied as enteric capsules and why injectable lyophilized retina peptide is also marketed.\n\nClinically and historically these bioregulators are delivered as oral capsules (about 10-20 mg/day in 10-30 day courses) or by intramuscular injection (the Retinalamin route, roughly 5 mg/day for 10 days); the once-daily subcutaneous reconstitution described here is an educational modeling convention, not a route validated for Visoluten [5][7]. Reconstituting a 20 mg vial in 2 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 10 mg/mL, so a 2.5-5 mg dose corresponds to 25-50 units on a U-100 syringe. Visoluten remains an unapproved research and supplement-grade product, and every figure here should be read as reference information only, not therapeutic guidance.
Clinical Trial Efficacy Highlights
- starIn a 2002 study of the retina-active tetrapeptide Epitalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly), Khavinson and colleagues reported that the peptide intensified the bioelectric and functional activity of the retina in Campbell rats by preserving its morphological structure, and that peptide therapy in patients with degenerative retinal lesions produced a positive clinical effect in about 90% of cases on electroretinography; this is the closest retina-specific signal for the family, but it used the synthetic analog rather than the Visoluten capsule [1].
- starKhavinson and co-workers (2003) showed in cell culture that Retinalamin (the injectable retina peptide complex) and Epitalon, at specific concentrations, tissue-specifically stimulated proliferation of retinal and pigment-epithelial cells, providing the in-vitro basis for the retina-restoration claims later extended to Visoluten [3].
- starA 2021 systematic review in Molecules summarizing the Khavinson short-peptide program describes how 2-7 residue peptides regulate tissue-specific gene expression and protein synthesis; it supplies the mechanistic rationale for retina cytomaxes such as Visoluten but reports no human efficacy data for the capsule itself [2].
- starA 2020 study in Molecules found that the AEDG peptide bound preferentially to histone proteins H1/3 and H1/6 and increased expression of differentiation genes and protein synthesis, supporting the proposed nuclear, epigenetic mechanism of the class while again studying a synthetic analog rather than Visoluten [4].
- starA 2020 ophthalmology study (Vestnik Oftalmologii) of the injectable sibling Retinalamin in open-angle glaucoma reported that intramuscular, retrobulbar, and combined delivery had comparable efficacy with measurable gains in retinal light sensitivity, most pronounced in early and moderate disease, though some benefit regressed by six months; this concerns the injectable preparation, not the oral capsule [5].
- starA 2008 Russian clinical report on Retinalamin in patients with ocular tuberculosis described improved visual acuity and reduced visual-field scotomas versus comparator treatment; like the glaucoma data it reflects the injectable retina peptide and Russian-language clinical programs that do not meet Western randomized-controlled-trial standards [6].
- starAt the class level, Khavinson's foundational "Peptides and Ageing" review and a 15-year randomized follow-up of the pineal bioregulator by Korkushko and colleagues represent the strongest clinical signals for the Khavinson peptide family, but they studied different peptides and cannot be extrapolated to Visoluten, for which no controlled human trial exists [7][8].
Side Effects & Tolerability Profile
Clinical subjects transiently report mild side effects. Slowly escalating the titration dose represents the single most effective intervention to limit side effects.
- warningNo controlled human safety data exist for the Visoluten capsule; its adverse-effect profile is essentially unknown, and the points below are extrapolated from the injectable retina peptide and the Khavinson bioregulator class generally.
- warningTaken orally as labeled, the most plausible effects are mild and gastrointestinal (nausea, fullness, or loose stools); the marketed product reports few complaints, but no rigorous tolerability study has been published.
- warningFor the educational subcutaneous reference, injection can cause local reactions including redness, itching, swelling, bruising, or transient pain at the injection site.
- warningAny injected peptide complex carries a theoretical risk of immune or hypersensitivity reactions; stop use and seek care for rash, hives, facial or throat swelling, or difficulty breathing. Bovine-derived material adds a theoretical sensitization and contamination concern.
- warningResearch- and supplement-grade peptide complexes are not manufactured to pharmaceutical sterility standards, so endotoxin, microbial contamination, and inaccurate peptide content are realistic risks; purity and sterility cannot be assumed, and a crude complex should never be injected without that caveat.
- warningThere are no drug-interaction or formal safety studies; people with eye disease or taking ophthalmic or systemic medications should not assume Visoluten is inert, effective, or a substitute for evaluation by an ophthalmologist.
- warningVisoluten has not been evaluated in pregnancy, breastfeeding, in children, or in serious retinal disease such as advanced AMD or diabetic retinopathy, and self-treating sight-threatening conditions with it instead of proven care could delay effective treatment.
- warningRegulatory status: Visoluten is not approved by the FDA, EMA, or any major regulator as a drug; it is sold as a research compound or dietary supplement, while its injectable sibling Retinalamin is a registered medicine only in Russia and a few neighboring countries.
Subcutaneous Injection Technique
Most research peptides require subcutaneous injection into fatty tissue. Never inject directly into a blood vessel or deep muscle tissue unless clinically detailed.
1. Site Selection
Common locations include the abdomen (2 inches from navel), outer upper arms, or thighs.
2. Sanitization
Thoroughly clean the selected site, stopper and vial top using 70% isopropyl alcohol prep swabs.
3. Angle & Push
Pinch the skin and insert the needle at a 45 to 90-degree angle. Depress plunger smoothly.
4. Site Rotation
Rotate injection sites continuously to avoid lipodystrophy or tissue scarring.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical Visoluten dosage?expand_more
The most commonly cited Visoluten dosage is oral: roughly 10-20 mg/day, usually two 10 mg capsules taken 15-30 minutes before meals, in courses of 10-30 days repeated two to three times per year. The subcutaneous figures on this page (about 2.5-5 mg/day from a 20 mg vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, equal to 25-50 units on a U-100 syringe) are an educational reference modeled on the injectable retina peptide Retinalamin, not a validated route for the capsule. No controlled human trial has established an optimal Visoluten dose.
Is Visoluten FDA approved?expand_more
No. Visoluten is not approved by the FDA or the EMA for any indication. It is sold as a research compound or dietary supplement, and the broader peptide-bioregulator class is investigational outside Russia. Its injectable sibling Retinalamin is a registered medicine in Russia and a few neighboring countries, but that approval does not apply to the Visoluten capsule or to the United States or European Union. Treat all information here as educational, not medical advice, and consult an ophthalmologist for any eye condition.
How do you reconstitute Visoluten for the educational subcutaneous reference?expand_more
Draw 2 mL of bacteriostatic water and inject it slowly down the inner wall of the 20 mg vial, then swirl gently until clear (never shake). That yields 10 mg/mL, so 2.5 mg is 25 units and 5 mg is 50 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. Keep in mind the real Visoluten product is an oral capsule; this reconstitution is a modeling convention to match the site format, not a clinical route for Visoluten.
What is Visoluten's half life?expand_more
Visoluten's pharmacokinetics have never been formally characterized. As a complex of small, unmodified peptides it is expected to be hydrolyzed by gut, plasma, and tissue peptidases within minutes, so the free-peptide half-life is very short. Any lasting effect is attributed to downstream changes in gene expression rather than to circulating peptide, which is why the bioregulators are dosed in short daily courses rather than continuously.
Can Visoluten be stacked with other Khavinson peptide bioregulators?expand_more
In the bioregulator literature and supplier protocols, retina cytomaxes such as Visoluten are often combined with other organ-specific complexes (for example pineal, vascular, or brain peptides) during seasonal courses. However, there are no controlled interaction, safety, or efficacy data for any such combination, and stacking unapproved peptide complexes compounds the unknown risks. Any combination should be regarded as experimental and is not medical advice.
Related Guides & Tools
Step-by-step references for reconstituting, measuring, and storing Visoluten, plus the universal dosing calculator.
Academic References & Study Citations
Khavinson VKh, Razumovsky M, Trofimova S, Grigorian R, Razumovskaya A. Pineal-regulating tetrapeptide epitalon improves eye retina condition in retinitis pigmentosa. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002;23(4):365-368. View Scientific Paper →
Khavinson VK, Popovich IG, Linkova NS, Mironova ES, Ilina AR. Peptide Regulation of Gene Expression: A Systematic Review. Molecules. 2021;26(22):7053. View Scientific Paper →
Khavinson VKh, Pronyaeva VE, Linkova NS, et al. Effects of peptides on proliferative activity of retinal and pigmented epithelial cells. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2003;135(6):597-599. View Scientific Paper →
Khavinson V, Diomede F, Mironova E, Linkova N, Trofimova S, Trubiani O, Caputi S, Sinjari B. AEDG Peptide (Epitalon) Stimulates Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis during Neurogenesis: Possible Epigenetic Mechanism. Molecules. 2020;25(3):609. View Scientific Paper →
Erichev VP, Lovpache DN, Yaremenko TV. [Peptide bioregulators: delivery and efficacy]. Vestn Oftalmol. 2020;136(2):78-84. View Scientific Paper →
Aleksandrov EI, Aleksandrova TE. [Treatment with the peptide bioregulator retinalamine in patients with tuberculosis of the organ of vision]. Probl Tuberk Bolezn Legk. 2008;(2):41-44. View Scientific Paper →
Khavinson VKh. Peptides and Ageing. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002;23 Suppl 3:11-144. View Scientific Paper →
Korkushko OV, Khavinson VKh, Shatilo VB, Antonyk-Sheglova IA. Peptide geroprotector from the pituitary gland inhibits rapid aging of elderly people: results of 15-year follow-up. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2011;151(3):366-369. View Scientific Paper →