KPV — wholesale 10-vial kits

Research context

KPV is the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, the Lys-Pro-Val sequence that closes the 13-residue hormone cleaved from pro-opiomelanocortin. It is indexed under the synonyms Lys-Pro-Val, α-MSH(11–13) and, in PubChem, MSH (11-13). Structure–activity work on α-MSH separated the hormone's pigmentary pharmacophore — the His-Phe-Arg-Trp core that drives melanocortin-1 receptor signaling — from anti-inflammatory activity that survived in the much smaller C-terminal fragment. That separation is what made KPV useful at the bench: a three-residue, synthetically trivial molecule that reproduces part of the parent hormone's signaling profile in cell and rodent models without the receptor coverage of the full hormone.

The molecule has no modifications — free N-terminal lysine, free C-terminal valine, a central proline. Its design interest lies in what the proline does. The Lys-Pro bond and the rigid pyrrolidine ring make the tripeptide a substrate for proton-coupled oligopeptide transporters rather than a passive diffuser, and the single basic side chain gives it a net positive charge at neutral pH. Both features shape how it behaves in uptake and permeability experiments.

The best-characterized molecular target is not a melanocortin receptor at all. Work published in Gastroenterology in 2008 used radiolabeled KPV and competition against a known PepT1 substrate to show that the tripeptide enters intestinal epithelial lines (Caco2-BBE, HT29-Cl.19A) and Jurkat T cells through the peptide transporter PepT1 (SLC15A1), and that nanomolar concentrations suppress NF-κB and MAP-kinase activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release in those cells. A parallel murine study published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases the same year reported activity in DSS and CD45RB-transfer colitis models that persisted in animals carrying a non-functional melanocortin-1 receptor, which is the basis for describing part of its activity as MC1R-independent.

As a research tool KPV therefore appears in three recurring assay families: NF-κB luciferase reporter and phospho-protein readouts in epithelial and immune cell lines; transporter studies that use it as a model PepT1 substrate alongside Gly-Sar; and cytokine panels by qRT-PCR and ELISA in rodent colitis models. Because it is small, water-soluble and cheap to synthesize, it is also a standard payload in delivery-system research — hyaluronic-acid-functionalized polymeric nanoparticles and chitosan/alginate hydrogels have both been characterized with KPV as the encapsulated model peptide in murine colitis work published in 2017.

Regulatory position, stated factually: KPV is not an FDA-approved drug and is not the active ingredient of any approved product. FDA lists KPV among bulk drug substances that were nominated for compounding and then withdrawn by the nominators, and KPV-related bulk substances were discussed at the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting of July 23–24, 2026. On October 30, 2026 the Department of Health and Human Services published a notice in the Federal Register announcing an interim enforcement-discretion policy for certain peptide bulk substances used in 503A compounding while the 503A bulks list is developed through rulemaking; that policy is addressed to state-licensed pharmacies and physicians, is not an approval, and does not alter the research-use status of the material sold here.

For analytical labs, KPV's low molar mass makes LC-MS identity confirmation simple, but it also means small mass differences from counter-ions such as TFA or acetate matter when reporting net peptide content. Each lot's COA states purity and identity separately.

Research areas

• α-MSH structure–activity relationships
• PepT1-mediated peptide transport
• NF-κB signaling in epithelial cell models
• murine models of mucosal inflammation
• oral and nanoparticle peptide delivery systems
• melanocortin-receptor-independent signaling

U.S. regulatory status of the compound (as an active ingredient): Not approved by the FDA. The material sold here is a research reference chemical, not a drug product.

Handling and storage

• Store lyophilized vials at −20 °C, sealed, protected from light and moisture.
• Let the vial equilibrate to room temperature before opening to limit condensation.
• Reconstitute in an appropriate sterile buffer or solvent according to your laboratory SOP.
• Aliquot reconstituted material and avoid repeated freeze–thaw.