What it is
KPV is a tripeptide: lysine, proline and valine, whose one-letter codes are K, P and V. It is the last three amino acids of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, a natural peptide hormone of thirteen. KPV for research is made by synthesis.
Where it came from
Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone has long been studied for its part in inflammatory signalling as well as pigmentation. Researchers looking for the smallest part of the hormone that kept the first of those activities in laboratory models arrived at its final three amino acids. A fragment that small is cheap to make, easy to characterise and simple to compare against the parent hormone.
What it has been studied for
- Inflammatory signalling pathways in cell culture
- Intestinal epithelial cell models, including how so small a peptide is carried into cells
- Comparison with the full alpha-MSH hormone, and with other fragments of it
- Whether its activity depends on the melanocortin receptors the parent hormone uses
This is cell-based and preclinical research. No effect in people is claimed, and the compound is not sold for human use.
KPV and the melanocortin peptides
KPV shares a parent with a larger family of research peptides built on alpha-MSH. Bremelanotide is one: a cyclic analogue made to bind melanocortin receptors. KPV is a different kind of tool, a bare fragment with no ring and no modifications. What is PT-141? covers the cyclic side of the family.
KPV in the klow blend
KPV is the fourth peptide in the klow blend, at 10mg alongside GHK-Cu 50mg, BPC-157 10mg and TB-500 10mg. The glow blend holds the same three without it, which makes the two a matched pair for isolating what KPV changes. Glow vs klow sets them side by side.
What a KPV certificate should show
For a peptide this small the mass spectrometry result matters most: about 342 g/mol. In a blend, the certificate should identify each component, KPV included. Reading a batch certificate explains the rest.
Buying KPV in the UK
We supply KPV as part of the klow stack and not on its own. Each batch is assayed by an independent laboratory and ships cold from the UK with its certificate. Refrigerate at 2–8°C and do not freeze.