PeptideHormone

KPV

The anti-inflammatory C-terminal tripeptide of α-MSH.

Research peptidePreclinical

Identity

Class
Tripeptide (Lys-Pro-Val) — α-MSH(11-13)
Source
Synthetic; the C-terminal fragment of α-MSH
Receptor
Anti-inflammatory action largely receptor-independent; gut uptake via the PepT1 transporter

Key properties

Molecular weight
~342.4 Da

Approximate values for the native hormone. Engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting.

Mechanism

KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of α-MSH (residues 11-13) and carries much of α-MSH's anti-inflammatory activity without its pigmentation or appetite effects. In cell and animal models it dampens NF-κB signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and in the gut it is taken up intact via the PepT1 transporter — an effect that appears largely independent of the classical melanocortin receptors.

Reference notes

  • It reproduces α-MSH's anti-inflammatory effect while dropping the pigment- and appetite-related actions of the parent peptide.
  • Much of its activity is receptor-independent and, in the intestine, mediated by the PepT1 peptide transporter.
  • Evidence is preclinical — cell and rodent models, notably colitis; controlled human data are absent.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

  1. 1.Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease · Inflammatory bowel diseases, 2008 · PMID 18092346
  2. 2.PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation · Gastroenterology, 2008 · PMID 18061177
  3. 3.Effects of the COOH-terminal tripeptide alpha-MSH(11-13) on corneal epithelial wound healing: role of nitric oxide · Experimental eye research, 2006 · PMID 16965771