KPV Pen
3 mL of the alpha-MSH(11-13) tripeptide Lys-Pro-Val in solution at 5 mg/mL, 15 mg per pen. Filled from a peptide lot tested in the manufacturer’s own laboratory, with a certificate.
| Compound | KPV Lys-Pro-Val; α-MSH(11–13) |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 67727-97-3 |
| Molecular formula | C16H30N4O4 |
| Theoretical mass | 342.4 Da |
| Sequence / structure | H-KPV-OH (3 residues; free N- and C-termini) |
| Contents | KPV: 15 mg per 3 mL pen (0.5% w/v) |
| Form | Sterile aqueous solution in bacteriostatic water (0.9% benzyl alcohol), supplied in a 3 mL glass cartridge inside a preloaded autoinjector pen fitted with a needle |
| Storage, sealed | Store at 2–8 °C in the original carton, protected from light |
| Format | Solution in a 3 mL pre-filled pen |
Sizes and lots
- 15 mg · 1 pen — $48.99
- 15 mg · Kit of 10 — $435.52
KPV is Lys-Pro-Val, the C-terminal tripeptide of alpha-MSH, a 342.4 Da molecule studied for its effects on inflammatory signalling. This listing supplies it already dissolved: a preloaded autoinjector pen holding 3 mL at 5 mg/mL, 15 mg of peptide in total, so nothing has to be reconstituted. The literature on KPV covers its uptake by the PepT1 transporter, NF-kB inhibition in intestinal cells and colitis models in mice.
What is in the pen
The pen carries 3 mL of KPV solution at 5 mg/mL. That is 15 mg of peptide, or about 43.8 µmol at the certificate's theoretical mass of 342.4 Da, giving a solution of roughly 14.6 mM. The peptide is the same H-KPV-OH tripeptide sold freeze-dried in the KPV 10 mg vial.
A safety data sheet for this pen has not been published yet, so this page does not state the solvent, any preservative or the storage temperature for the solution. Where a study needs a concentration other than 5 mg/mL, or long storage, the freeze-dried vials leave that choice to the laboratory; the trade-offs are set out in peptide pen vs vial.
What the research covers
KPV is the last three residues of alpha-MSH, and reviews from Luger and Brzoska's group credited it with most of the parent hormone's anti-inflammatory activity1. Dalmasso and colleagues showed that the tripeptide used PepT1, the intestinal transporter for di- and tripeptides, to get into human intestinal epithelial cells and T cells. Once there, nanomolar concentrations cut NF-kB and MAP kinase signalling and cytokine release2.
In mice, KPV lessened DSS and TNBS colitis2. A second group found that mice given KPV during DSS colitis regained body weight sooner and showed fewer inflammatory infiltrates and lower colonic myeloperoxidase activity, and that KPV still protected mice lacking a working melanocortin-1 receptor, which the authors read as an effect at least partly independent of that receptor3.
These findings come from cell lines and rodents. No paper cited here describes a human study, none tested KPV held in a pen, and none reports how long KPV stays intact once dissolved. The full literature, including work outside the gut, is in the KPV peptide guide, and the guide to peptides for inflammation research sets KPV beside other anti-inflammatory peptides.
Frequently asked questions
How does the pen differ from the KPV vials?
The vials hold dry KPV powder that is kept frozen and dissolved in the lab at whatever volume a study needs. The pen holds the same tripeptide already in solution at a fixed 5 mg/mL, 15 mg per pen, with nothing to reconstitute.
Do the published KPV studies apply to the pen?
As background on the molecule only. The cited work used KPV in cell culture and in mice. None of it examined a preloaded solution, and none reports how long KPV remains stable after it is dissolved.
References
- Luger TA, Brzoska T. alpha-MSH related peptides: a new class of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating drugs. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007;66 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):iii52-5. DOI · PubMed
- Dalmasso G, Charrier-Hisamuddin L, Nguyen HT, et al. PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation. Gastroenterology. 2008;134(1):166-78. DOI · PubMed
- Kannengiesser K, Maaser C, Heidemann J, et al. Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2008;14(3):324-31. DOI · PubMed
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary consumption. Products have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.