Cerebrolysin Reconstitution: How Much Bacteriostatic Water
A 60 mg vial of Cerebrolysin reconstituted with 3 mL of bacteriostatic water gives a concentration of 20 mg/mL; with 6 mL it gives 10 mg/mL. The calculation depends only on the quantity in the vial and the volume of water added, so the figures below apply to any 60 mg vial.
There is no single correct volume. Adding more water does not change how much is in the vial. It spreads the same quantity through a larger volume, which changes how many syringe units correspond to a given amount. The tables on this page use volumes that produce round numbers on a U-100 syringe; other volumes work identically as long as the resulting concentration is written on the vial.
Peptide reconstitution calculator
Set to this vial below. Change the vial size, water volume, amount or syringe and it recalculates the concentration and the syringe units. For laboratory research use only.
All products are sold strictly for laboratory research use only and are not for human or veterinary consumption. This calculator is provided as a general reference tool.
How much bacteriostatic water for 60 mg Cerebrolysin?
Add 3 mL of bacteriostatic water to a 60 mg Cerebrolysin vial for 20 mg/mL, so 0.1 mL (10 units) holds 2 mg; 2 mL gives 30 mg/mL, 4 mL gives 15 mg/mL and 6 mL gives 10 mg/mL. Concentration is the quantity in the vial divided by the water volume: the vial holds 60 mg whichever volume you choose, and only the mg/mL figure moves.
| Water added | Concentration | Amount in 0.1 mL (10 units on a U-100 syringe) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mL | 30 mg/mL | 3 mg |
| 3 mL | 20 mg/mL | 2 mg |
| 4 mL | 15 mg/mL | 1.5 mg |
| 6 mL | 10 mg/mL | 1 mg |
A 60 mg vial takes more water than a typical 10 mg vial, so check that it has headspace for the volume you choose before adding it. One multi-dose vial of bacteriostatic water covers several research vials.
Reading the concentration on a U-100 syringe
A U-100 insulin syringe is graduated in units, and 100 units equal 1 mL. Units are therefore millilitres multiplied by 100: 0.1 mL is 10 units and 0.25 mL is 25 units. A 0.5 mL syringe carries 50 units and a 0.3 mL syringe carries 30 units on the same scale, with finer markings that make small volumes easier to read.
To find the volume that contains a given amount, divide the amount by the concentration. At 20 mg/mL (a 60 mg vial with 3 mL of water), the volume that contains 2 mg is 2 divided by 20, which is 0.1 mL, or 10 units. The table below runs the same calculation for four arbitrary amounts. They illustrate the arithmetic and nothing else.
| Amount (illustrative) | Volume at 20 mg/mL | U-100 units |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mg | 0.05 mL | 5 units |
| 2 mg | 0.1 mL | 10 units |
| 4 mg | 0.2 mL | 20 units |
| 6 mg | 0.3 mL | 30 units |
At 10 mg/mL, which the same vial gives with 6 mL of water, every volume in the table doubles: a 2 mg draw measures 20 units instead of 10. Volumes below about 0.1 mL are hard to read accurately on a 1 mL syringe. Either move to a 0.3 mL or 0.5 mL syringe, or reconstitute with more water so that the same mass occupies a larger, more legible volume.
Cerebrolysin is supplied by Vistara Labs as a lyophilised material for research use. The quantities on this page illustrate the arithmetic of dilution and measurement only.
The Cerebrolysin vial
Vistara Labs supplies Cerebrolysin as a 60 mg lyophilised vial, prepared with bacteriostatic water like the other peptides in the catalogue. Certificates of analysis are published on the Lab Results page, and the buying questions are answered in buying Cerebrolysin in Canada.
What Cerebrolysin is
Cerebrolysin is a brain-derived peptide preparation that has been studied in human neurology for decades, mainly after stroke, after traumatic brain injury and in Alzheimer’s disease.
In the CARS trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicentre study, stroke patients who received Cerebrolysin alongside a standardised rehabilitation programme showed a large superiority over placebo on the Action Research Arm Test at day 90, and Cerebrolysin was safe and well tolerated (Muresanu 2016). A prospective meta-analysis of the CAPTAIN trial series in 185 patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury found a statistically significant benefit on a combined set of functional and neuropsychological outcome scales at day 30 and day 90 (Vester 2021). A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease found Cerebrolysin more effective than placebo on global clinical change at 4 weeks and 6 months, with safety comparable to placebo (Gauthier 2015).
Sources: Muresanu DF et al. Cerebrolysin and Recovery After Stroke (CARS): A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Multicenter Trial. Stroke. 2016. PMID 26564102. Vester JC et al. Cerebrolysin after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: prospective meta-analysis of the CAPTAIN trial series. Neurol Sci. 2021. PMID 33620612. Gauthier S et al. Cerebrolysin in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2015. PMID 25832905.
Reconstitution technique
Let the vial reach room temperature, swab both stoppers, and run the measured water slowly down the inside wall of the vial rather than onto the powder. Swirl or tilt gently until the cake dissolves, never shake, and give any remaining powder a few minutes to settle into solution. Label the vial with the date and the concentration, then keep it refrigerated at 2 to 8 °C and protected from light. The full method, with the reason behind each step, is in how to reconstitute peptides with bacteriostatic water.
Why the solution should look clear
Properly reconstituted Cerebrolysin forms a clear solution with no visible particles. Cloudiness, strands or a gel that will not disperse usually mean the water went in too fast or the vial was shaken; haze that appears later points to warm or bright storage. The causes are covered in why peptides gel or go cloudy.
Bacteriostatic water, not sterile water
Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, a preservative that allows a refrigerated vial to be accessed more than once; plain sterile water is intended for single access. The difference is explained in bacteriostatic water explained.
Frequently asked questions
How much bac water for a 60 mg Cerebrolysin vial?
There is no single correct volume. With 3 mL of bacteriostatic water a 60 mg vial of Cerebrolysin gives 20 mg/mL, so 0.1 mL (10 units) holds 2 mg; with 6 mL it gives 10 mg/mL. Adding more water does not change the quantity in the vial, it spreads it through a larger volume, so write the concentration you chose on the vial.
How many units on a U-100 syringe contain 2 mg of Cerebrolysin at 20 mg/mL?
At 20 mg/mL (a 60 mg vial with 3 mL of water), the volume that contains 2 mg is 2 divided by 20, which is 0.1 mL, or 10 units. Units are millilitres multiplied by 100. The amounts on this page illustrate the arithmetic only.
What should reconstituted Cerebrolysin look like?
Properly reconstituted Cerebrolysin forms a clear solution with no visible particles. Cloudiness, strands or a gel that will not disperse usually mean the water went in too fast or the vial was shaken; haze that appears later points to warm or bright storage. More on the causes in why peptides gel or go cloudy.
Can I use sterile water instead of bacteriostatic water?
Only for a vial that will be accessed once. Bacteriostatic water is sterile water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol, a preservative that allows a refrigerated vial to be accessed more than once; plain sterile water is intended for single access. Details in bacteriostatic water explained.
How should a reconstituted Cerebrolysin vial be stored?
Refrigerated at 2 to 8 °C, protected from light and labelled with the date and the concentration. Unopened lyophilised vials are kept cold and dark until they are needed. The full storage guide is how to store research peptides.
Work it out for a different vial or concentration
Our peptide calculator opens pre-set for a 60 mg vial with 3 mL of water and marks the 2 mg draw of 10 units on a syringe diagram. Change the vial size, water volume, amount or syringe and it recalculates.
Products: Cerebrolysin 60 mg and bacteriostatic water.
All products supplied by Vistara Labs are intended for laboratory research use only. They are not drugs, are not approved for human or veterinary use, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. Nothing on this page constitutes medical advice or guidance for use in humans.
