KPV
10mg
KPV is the tripeptide Lysine-Proline-Valine, the C-terminal fragment of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). KPV lacks the His-Phe-Arg-Trp message core that melanocortin receptors recognise, so research has instead focused on PepT1-mediated cellular uptake followed by intracellular signalling, particularly in mucosal and gut-barrier models where intact α-MSH signalling is preserved without the pigmentation effects of the parent peptide. Studies have examined NF-κB pathway modulation, cytokine attenuation and epithelial barrier integrity in colitis and inflammatory bowel research models. Supplied as lyophilised powder, third-party tested.
Published research on KPV is indexed on PubMed. See our full UK buyer's guide for KPV.
Intended Use: Strictly for in-vitro laboratory research. Not for use in humans or animals. Not to be used in foods, drugs, or medical diagnostics. This product has not been evaluated by the MHRA or FDA. Buyer assumes full responsibility for safe handling and regulatory compliance.
≥98%
Purity
LAB
Certified
SAME
Day Ship
Quantity
Add £20.01 more for free UK delivery
Damaged or lost? Free reshipment guaranteed
Bacteriostatic Water 10ml
Required to reconstitute lyophilised peptides.
Research Use Only
This product is intended strictly for research and laboratory use only. Not for human consumption, medical use, or diagnostic purposes.
Certificate of Analysis
Third-party tested
Lyophilised Stability
24 months
Sealed at -20°C, light-protected
Reconstituted Stability
Up to 3 months
Stored at 2-8°C after mixing
Cold-Chain Shipping
Always
Dry-cold pack, Royal Mail Tracked 24
Important Notice
All compounds are sold individually and do not include research supplies. Products are provided in lyophilised (powder) form and require proper reconstitution before use in research settings.
Related Products
KPV Price (UK)
KPV 10mg is £24.99 per vial, supplied from stock in the UK with a third-party HPLC certificate published on this page. UK delivery is £4.50 by Royal Mail Tracked 24, or free once your basket reaches £45 (£20.01 away at this price). Orders placed before 2pm on a working day are dispatched the same day.
| Vial | Price | Cost per mg | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| KPV 10mgThis page | £24.99 | £2.50 | In stock |
Prices are in GBP and shown per vial as supplied, lyophilised, for in-vitro laboratory research only. Cost per mg is given so researchers can compare vial sizes on a like-for-like basis. Stock and pricing on this table are read live from our inventory, so they match the basket. See our FAQ for delivery and payment options, and quality & testing for how each batch is verified.
Product Specifications
Research Overview
KPV is the tripeptide L-lysyl-L-prolyl-L-valine, molecular formula C₁₆H₃₀N₄O₄, molecular weight 342.43 g/mol, CAS 64790-08-5. It corresponds to residues 11 to 13 of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, whose full sequence is Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH₂, so KPV is simply the C-terminal end of that hormone. It is searched as k.p.v, k p v, KPV peptide and alpha-MSH (11-13), all the same molecule. One structural fact governs how the compound should be read: KPV does not contain the His-Phe-Arg-Trp message core that melanocortin receptors recognise, so classical melanocortin receptor agonism is not the mechanism reported in the primary literature. Dalmasso and colleagues (Gastroenterology, 2008) found that nanomolar KPV inhibited NF-κB and MAP kinase signalling and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine output in Caco2-BBE intestinal epithelial cells and in Jurkat T cells, and that the effect depended on PepT1 (SLC15A1), the proton-coupled di/tripeptide transporter. On that account KPV is carried into the cell and acts intracellularly rather than at a surface receptor. PepT1 is normally a small-intestinal transporter but is induced in colonic epithelium and in immune cells during inflammation, so the transporter that carries the tripeptide is upregulated in the same tissue where the inflammatory models are run, a self-targeting property frequently noted in the PepT1 literature. Kannengiesser and colleagues (Inflamm Bowel Dis, 2008) reported anti-inflammatory activity for the same melanocortin-derived tripeptide in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. The honest evidence position is that KPV has no human clinical trials, and a large share of the recent literature is delivery engineering, nanoparticles and hydrogels, rather than new mechanism. Supplied as lyophilised powder for in-vitro research use only.
Product Specifications
Laboratory Handling
- Store lyophilised vials at -20°C, protected from light and moisture. Allow the vial to reach room temperature before opening so condensation does not settle on the powder.
- Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water, directing the stream down the inner glass wall and swirling gently until dissolved. KPV is highly water-soluble and dissolves readily; the solution should be clear and colourless.
- Note that a tripeptide is too short to hold secondary structure, so the usual concerns about shear-induced unfolding do not apply. The practical liabilities are instead hydrolysis of the two peptide bonds in standing aqueous solution and, in cell work, degradation by aminopeptidases in serum-containing medium.
- Hold reconstituted solution at 2-8°C and prepare single-use aliquots at -20°C for longer storage. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles and repeated stopper punctures.
- Handle under aseptic conditions, swabbing the stopper of both the KPV vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with alcohol before every needle entry.
- For PepT1-dependent experiments remember that the transporter is proton-coupled, so extracellular pH and the presence of competing di- and tripeptides in the medium will both affect measured uptake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is KPV?
KPV is the tripeptide L-lysyl-L-prolyl-L-valine, molecular formula C₁₆H₃₀N₄O₄, molecular weight 342.43 g/mol, CAS 64790-08-5, also catalogued as α-MSH (11-13). It corresponds to the C-terminal three residues of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, Ac-Ser-Tyr-Ser-Met-Glu-His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly-Lys-Pro-Val-NH₂. Critically, it does not contain the His-Phe-Arg-Trp message core that melanocortin receptors recognise, so it is not a melanocortin receptor agonist in the way the intact hormone is. The mechanism reported in the primary literature runs instead through PepT1, the proton-coupled di/tripeptide transporter, which carries KPV into intestinal epithelial and immune cells where it inhibits NF-κB and MAP kinase signalling. Supplied as lyophilised powder for in-vitro research use only, not a licensed medicine.
KPV vs alpha-MSH and (CKPV)₂
These three are routinely conflated and should not be. Alpha-MSH is a 13-residue acetylated and amidated melanocortin hormone that activates MC1R through MC5R via its His-Phe-Arg-Trp message core, which is why it produces pigmentation effects in addition to its anti-inflammatory ones. KPV is the last three residues only, 342.43 g/mol, lacks that message core entirely, and in the published work of Dalmasso and colleagues (Gastroenterology, 2008) acts intracellularly after PepT1-mediated transport rather than at a melanocortin receptor. (CKPV)₂ is a different molecule again, a cysteine-extended dimer with its own mass, its own registration and its own literature, and findings reported for it should not be attributed to the tripeptide. A further practical distinction concerns the C-terminus: in native alpha-MSH the terminal valine is amidated, whereas the KPV supplied for research is the free acid, one mass unit heavier than the corresponding amide, so a certificate of analysis should be read for which species it confirms.
KPV Research Applications
KPV is used in in-vitro and rodent models of mucosal inflammation and epithelial barrier biology. Reported applications include NF-κB reporter and MAP kinase signalling assays in Caco2-BBE intestinal epithelial cells and Jurkat T cells, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and secretion measurement, PepT1 transport and competition studies, and DSS- and TNBS-induced murine colitis models (Dalmasso et al., Gastroenterology, 2008; Kannengiesser et al., Inflamm Bowel Dis, 2008). It has also become the standard model cargo in a large drug-delivery literature, appearing in hyaluronic-acid-functionalised nanoparticles, polysaccharide hydrogels and PepT1-targeted carriers designed for colonic delivery. Researchers should be explicit that the evidence base is preclinical throughout: no human clinical trial of KPV has been published, and much of the recent output concerns formulation rather than new mechanism.
Reconstitution Guide
Allow vials to reach room temperature, then sterilise the rubber stopper of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with an alcohol swab. Slowly draw your bacteriostatic water into a sterile insulin syringe, then inject it gently down the inner glass wall of the peptide vial, never directly onto the lyophilised powder. Once added, gently swirl the vial in a slow circular motion until fully dissolved. KPV is highly water-soluble and dissolves quickly; the solution should be clear and colourless. Because a tripeptide holds no secondary structure, the concern here is not shear but hydrolysis in standing aqueous solution, so prepare only what the experiment requires and refrigerate promptly. Label the vial with the reconstitution date and store immediately.
See our full peptide reconstitution guide and reconstitution calculator for step-by-step protocol.
Storage Instructions
Lyophilised vials should be stored at -20°C, protected from light and moisture, and remain stable for up to 24 months. Once reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, store the solution at 2-8°C and use within approximately 4 weeks. For longer storage prepare single-use aliquots at -20°C and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. In cell culture, note separately that KPV is exposed to aminopeptidase activity in serum-containing medium, so the concentration present at the end of a long incubation is not necessarily the concentration added at the start. Handle under sterile laboratory conditions throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research References
Related Research Compounds
KPV
10mg · £24.99