KPV

KPV at a glance

KPV is three amino acids long: lysine, proline and valine, matching positions 11 to 13 at the carboxyl end of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Alpha-MSH is cleaved from the larger precursor pro-opiomelanocortin, and early work found that this terminal fragment kept a portion of the hormone's anti-inflammatory activity. Its small size makes it simple to synthesize and characterize. Listings here supply KPV as a freeze-dried powder, and it also appears as one component of certain multi-peptide blends in the catalogue.

Price and availability

This is Vital Edge Science‘s listing, dispatched from Australia. It is listed at $32.00. As with every order here, the brand is paid only after you confirm delivery.

What it is studied for

How much KPV depends on melanocortin receptors is unsettled, but pigment effects are not expected from such a short fragment. A leading proposal is that the proton-coupled di- and tripeptide transporter PepT1 carries it into epithelial and immune cells, where it interferes with NF-kB activation and lowers pro-inflammatory cytokine output in cell models. Some reports also describe antimicrobial effects. Nanoparticle and hydrogel formulations have been used in mouse colitis experiments to concentrate the peptide in inflamed intestinal tissue, though whether intracellular action explains all of its reported activity remains debated.

Research and regulatory status

Published work is preclinical: cultured intestinal epithelial cells, macrophage assays, keratinocyte and wound models, and chemically induced colitis in mice. Several groups have tested delivery systems to improve local exposure. No registered human clinical trial has established effects, and KPV is not an approved medicine anywhere we are aware of. Because uptake appears to depend on transporter expression, findings in one tissue may not carry over to another, a caution worth keeping in mind when reading summaries of this literature.

Checking the lab data

With only three residues, KPV gives a simple mass spectrum, so the observed mass should sit close to the calculated value for Lys-Pro-Val without stray peaks from protecting groups or truncated dipeptides. HPLC purity needs a visible chromatogram, because small hydrophilic peptides can elute early and hide impurities near the solvent front. The report should also note the counter-ion form, such as acetate, along with peptide content, a white lyophilized appearance and batch traceability.

An independent lab report is attached to this listing, and the panel above shows the measured result next to the labelled amount.

Listing details

Compound

KPV

Synonyms

Lys-Pro-Val, alpha-MSH(11-13)

Class

Naturally occurring tripeptide, C-terminal alpha-MSH fragment

Format

Lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder

Sold by

Vital Edge Science

Ships from

Australia

Lab report

Independent report attached

Storage and preparation

Freeze-dried peptide keeps best sealed, cold and dark. Once it has been dissolved, refrigerate it, avoid repeated warming and follow the stability limits in your study protocol.

Buyer questions

Supplied for laboratory research only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not a substitute for any prescription medicine. Nothing on this page is medical advice.