KPV
Lysine-Proline-Valine · Lys-Pro-Val · alpha-MSH (11-13) · α-MSH(11-13) · Tripeptide KPV
Tripeptide tail of alpha-MSH used to damp gut and skin inflammation.
Typical dose
500 mcg
1x daily
Range
250–1000
mcg
Half-life
—
see Dosing
Evidence
Animal only
Subcutaneous · Oral · Topical
What it is
KPV is the last three amino acids of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Alpha-MSH itself is a well-studied anti-inflammatory hormone, but it also drives pigmentation and appetite effects through melanocortin receptors. Stripping it down to the C-terminal tripeptide keeps a large part of the anti-inflammatory activity while dropping the receptor-driven side effects, which is the entire point of the molecule.
The strongest data is in the gut. KPV is taken up by the PepT1 di/tripeptide transporter, which is normally expressed in the small intestine but is switched on in the colon during inflammation — so an inflamed colon actively imports the peptide that suppresses its inflammation. In cultured intestinal epithelial and immune cells, nanomolar concentrations were enough to suppress NF-kB and MAP kinase signalling and cut pro-inflammatory cytokine output, and dosing whole animals reduced colonic inflammation in murine colitis models.
The practical upside is that it is a very small, cheap, stable molecule with a genuinely narrow mechanism. The limitation is that everything is cell culture and rodent work. KPV specifically has not been through human trials, and its use for gut issues, acne, eczema and post-injury inflammation is entirely extrapolation.
How it works
KPV works inside the cell rather than at a surface receptor for most of its effect. Once transported in — via PepT1 in gut epithelium, or directly through membranes elsewhere — it interferes with the NF-kB pathway by blocking translocation of NF-kB to the nucleus, and it inhibits MAP kinase signalling. Both are upstream master switches for inflammatory gene transcription, so the result is a broad reduction in TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 output without the immune suppression you get from steroids.
It retains some melanocortin-receptor-mediated activity, particularly at MC1R on keratinocytes and immune cells, which is the usual explanation for the reported skin effects. It does not produce the tanning or appetite changes of full-length alpha-MSH because it lacks the core His-Phe-Arg-Trp pharmacophore those depend on.
Dosing
For gut-specific use, oral dosing is arguably more logical than injection, since PepT1 uptake in inflamed intestinal epithelium is the mechanism the animal work actually demonstrated.
Reconstitution calculator
Pre-loaded with KPV’s vial size, water volume and typical dose. Change anything.
Typical: 500 mcg · range 250–1000
Draw to
20 u
0.2 mL · 500 mcg
Concentration
2.5 mg/mL
25 mcg per unit
Doses per vial
10
Vial lasts
10 days
Draw to 20 units on the barrel.
Once mixed
Refrigerate at 2-8 C and use within about 30 days.
Direct the bacteriostatic water down the vial wall and swirl until dissolved; KPV is a short, robust tripeptide and goes into solution readily. 5 mg in 2 mL gives 2.5 mg/mL, so a 500 mcg dose is 0.2 mL, or 20 units on a U-100 insulin syringe.
Storage
Before mixing
Sealed and dry at 2-8 C for two years or more; short tripeptides are relatively tolerant of room-temperature shipping.
After mixing
Refrigerate at 2-8 C and use within about 30 days.
Reported benefits
- ▪Reduces colonic inflammation in murine colitis models, and suppresses NF-kB signalling in intestinal cells at nanomolar concentrations in vitro
- ▪Suppresses NF-kB and MAP kinase signalling without broad immune suppression
- ▪Actively transported into inflamed gut tissue by PepT1, concentrating it where it is needed
- ▪Reported anecdotally to help acne, eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions
- ▪Antimicrobial activity against Candida and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro
- ▪Very well tolerated in animal work with no melanogenic or appetite effects
Side effects
- ▪Mild injection-site redness or itching
- ▪Occasional headache, usually at the top of the dose range
- ▪Transient nausea with oral dosing
- ▪Suppressing inflammatory signalling may blunt an appropriate immune response during an active infection
- ▪No human safety data at any dose or duration
Do not use if
- ▪Active systemic infection, where damping inflammatory signalling is counterproductive
- ▪Existing immunosuppression, whether from disease or medication
- ▪Pregnancy and breastfeeding — no data
- ▪Known hypersensitivity to the peptide or to benzyl alcohol
Evidence level — Animal only
Preclinical animal data — no meaningful human trials.
Not approved as a drug in any market and sold as a research chemical, though it also appears as an ingredient in some unregulated topical and oral products.
Commonly run with
BPC-157
Gastric-juice-derived pentadecapeptide studied for tendon, ligament and gut healing.
250 mcg · 1x daily (some split into 2x daily during an acute injury)
TB-500
Actin-regulating thymosin peptide used for soft-tissue repair and range of motion.
2.5 mg · 2x weekly during loading, then once every 1-2 weeks for maintenance
GHK-Cu
Copper-carrying tripeptide studied for collagen synthesis, wound repair and skin remodelling.
2 mg · 1x daily
KPV FAQ
Is KPV just a weaker melanotan?+
No. It is the opposite end of the alpha-MSH molecule. Melanotan compounds are built around the His-Phe-Arg-Trp core that drives pigmentation and libido effects; KPV is the C-terminal tail that carries anti-inflammatory activity and deliberately lacks that core. It will not tan you.
Oral or injected for gut problems?+
Oral has the better mechanistic case. The colitis work depends on PepT1 uptake by inflamed intestinal epithelium, which requires the peptide to actually reach the gut lumen. Injected KPV is used for systemic or skin inflammation instead.
Why is it so often stacked with BPC-157?+
They cover different halves of a gut problem. BPC-157 has the animal evidence for repairing and protecting the mucosal barrier itself; KPV suppresses the inflammatory signalling driving the damage. Neither combination has been formally studied, but the rationale is coherent.
How long until it does anything?+
Gut and skin responses are typically reported within one to two weeks. KPV is not a repair peptide — it modulates inflammation while it is present, so symptoms often return after stopping if the underlying driver has not been addressed.
References
- 1.PepT1-mediated tripeptide KPV uptake reduces intestinal inflammation — Gastroenterology (2008) PMID 18061177
- 2.Melanocortin-derived tripeptide KPV has anti-inflammatory potential in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease — Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2008) PMID 18092346
- 3.Orally Targeted Delivery of Tripeptide KPV via Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Nanoparticles Efficiently Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis — Molecular Therapy (2017) PMID 28143741
More healing & recovery
BPC-157
Gastric-juice-derived pentadecapeptide studied for tendon, ligament and gut healing.
250 mcg · 1x daily (some split into 2x daily during an acute injury)
GHK-Cu
Copper-carrying tripeptide studied for collagen synthesis, wound repair and skin remodelling.
2 mg · 1x daily
TB-500
Actin-regulating thymosin peptide used for soft-tissue repair and range of motion.
2.5 mg · 2x weekly during loading, then once every 1-2 weeks for maintenance